The College Life
by MyCurrentObsession
Summary: AU. Between new friends, new problems, numerous misadventures, and an unnervingly attractive teacher, will May be able to make it through college in one piece? Hoennshipping vs. Advanceshipping main. Other pairs inside; on hiatus until finished editing.
1. Before School

AN- This story with mostly focus on May, but I might occasionally do a chapter in the PoV of Dawn (and Misty like once).

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Pairings are as follows:

For May: Hoennshipping vs. Advanceshipping with small hints at other pairs.

For Dawn: Twinleafshipping (in this fic, the rival in Diamond/Pearl will be named Damion) vs. Belleshipping.

Enjoy the first chapter!

**Edit: **So, I was all set and ready to stamp "discontinued" on the summary, but then I actually went and read through what I've got, and… I remember how much I liked it originally. So, I'm continuing it, but not before making some _serious_ changes to the chapters already here. It's been like a year (maybe two) since I worked on this, and I know I've improved some, so I'm upping the quality of previous chapters. For older fans of this fic, I highly suggest you reread, as there is likely added content.

* * *

**Prologue: Before School **

My parents once told me that to succeed in life, I needed brains, brawn, beauty, and the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Heh. That's perfect because I've got all four of, no wait, three of… no, that's still not right. Okay, okay. I have _two_ of the four necessary qualities in making a good living for myself… sort of. I'm lacking in physical strength, and I'm not exactly what one would call smart. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dumb. I'm just not as smart as I could be, that's all. Well, at least I have the other two qualities. I know what's right and what's wrong… most of the time, anyway. When it really counts, I think I have that quality. I just tend to make mistakes on littler things, is all…

Smiling evilly down at my little brother, I snatch the game he's playing. He looks up at me and glares before trying to grab back his game. I hold it just out of his reach.

"Hey! Give it back, May!"

"No, I don't think I will. After all, I want to play…" I glance at the name of the game and raise an eyebrow. "…Pokémon, too! Let me play for a little, okay?" He tries reaching for the game one last time before giving up and pouting.

"…Whatever. Do what you want." I grin. _Score! I win again! _Yeah, I always do what's right… except when it comes to picking on my brother. I just can't resist. Content with the knowledge that I had gotten hold of the game, I snuggle into the car seat – which isn't actually very comfortable – and start to play. I frowned when, moments later, I got defeated by some stupid trainer on the game. Really, it was all the game's fault. I was stuck using some weird creature with horrible moves and a type disadvantage, while the other guy had this awesome one that totally kicked ass.

Glancing up, I see my mother roll her eyes at me through the mirror in the front seat. "May, give the game back to your brother."

I sigh. "Yes, mom." I toss the game onto Max's lap before turning and looking out the window.

I could see wildlife in the forest to the side of the road, and the trees were skipping by quickly as the car sped on. Its destination: Goldenrod University. It makes me smile just thinking of the place. Goldenrod University is a small college in Goldenrod City of the Johto region. It's where I, a nineteen year-old girl from Hoenn, am planning to go to college. I'm the only one from Petalburg who decided to go there, so I'm a little nervous, but totally excited, too. It's supposed to be this really great college, with a good reputation and great food, so I'm looking forward to it. Plus, it'll be the first time I've been off on my own, which is something I've always looked forward to. I'm hoping to explore more of the Johto region while I'm here, actually. I love traveling. It's actually my dream to travel all over the world and see amazing things.

_Oh, I can't wait to see what awaits me. All the different customs and cultures, plus all the cool clothes and food! _I know that I'm probably grinning like an idiot, but can't bring myself to care.

"Hey, are you alive in there? Hello, it's time to come back down to earth, May." Max smirks at me. "After all, you can't live on planet weirdo forever…"

I cringe slightly before turning and glaring at my idiot of a brother, resisting the temptation to smack him. Yeah, it should be obvious by now, but I don't really get along very well with him, and I'm almost sure he returns the resentment. Still, I do love my brother, and the rest of my family, I just have an odd way of showing it. Sighing, I ignore him in favor of something else.

"Dad, how close are we?"

He smiles at me from behind the wheel. "Well sweetie, we're almost past Ilex Forest, so we'll be in Goldenrod in about ten minutes. Are you excited?"

I beam at him, though I'm inwardly cringing. I really need to find a delicate way to tell him that he can _never_ call me that again, especially in public. "Oh, definitely! I can't wait to check out my dorm and meet my roommates! Oh, and I've heard the campus is supposed to be pretty impressive, too! Not to mention, the mall in Goldenrod is like one of the best! I can't wait to go shopping there…"

I see him wince and realize what he's thinking instantly: _Oh, yes, I'm happy to know she'll be happy, but does she have to shop so much? She's burning a hole in my pocket!_ I blow on a piece of my hair – it's kind of a bad habit for me – before sighing again.

"Why are you worried about money? Dad, you've got a really good, high-paying, job that you love, so what's there to worry about?"

My dad's into politics. He's actually the mayor of Petalburg City. Not much happens there, so he also has a side job. He's a professor over at the college in Rustboro City. Rustboro University is actually a school that specializes in politics, so a lot of people with dreams of being high-ranking officials of the region go there. It was his job there that actually made me my first friend. Her name's Roxanne and she's the daughter of the mayor of Rustboro. I've been friends with her since we met as kids when her dad hired mine at the university. That was nine years ago, and now Roxanne is studying to become the next mayor of Rustboro. When she graduates this year, she plans to go to the Rustboro University. I can't even imagine how weird it'll be, my dad teaching my best friend.

My dad sighs. "It's not that we have a shortage on money, it's just that I don't like the fact that you waste so much of it on useless things such as makeup and clothes."

My mother frowns and begins a counterattack immediately. "Norman dear, those things you mentioned aren't useless at all. Maybe they seem that way to you, but girls are different, and require things such as expensive makeup and pretty clothes. It helps them feel good, and it makes them feel beautiful. Right, May?"

I squeak out a yes, not really wanting to be drawn into the debate sure to follow.

Dad refutes, "Caroline, I think that you're wrong. Our May is beautiful as she is, and doesn't require nice clothes to be that way. Besides, who needs make-up when you've got a pretty face like hers? It's beautiful, and _all_-natural!"

Mom jumps to point out the flaws in his argument. "Dear, she's got nice clothes on now. And she _is_ wearing make-up."

Dad blanches, shocked, before whipping around to get a close look at me. "What? Is she really? I can't tell at all…"

Mom smiles, and I roll my eyes, knowing that she's inwardly celebrating at having won that little dispute. "That's because when you put on makeup well enough, you can't even tell it's on. Experts like May and I can make ourselves prettier, while still looking natural."

I hold back a few giggles as Dad grumbles before turning his eyes back to the road. I could hear Max snickering beside me. I light up as I see the city come into view. _Just a few more minutes, and I'll be there! _

I believe I stated earlier that I have two of the four necessary qualities to make a good living for myself. Stepping out onto the campus of Goldenrod University, I smile as I see a few boys already looking my way. With pretty brunette colored hair that frames my face, deep blue eyes, and a curvy figure, I _know_ I'm beautiful.

…Okay, so maybe 'beautiful' isn't quite the correct term for me. To be truly beautiful, you've gotta have grace and elegance, of which I'm unfortunate enough to lack both. I'm kind of a klutz – by which I mean that I will invariably fall down every flight of stairs I deign to get on, and will also randomly trip over my own feet. I suppose 'really cute' is a better way of categorizing my looks. Either way, I know I look good, and that's what matters. I hear the car doors slam behind me, indicating that the rest of my family has gotten out of the car as well.

Max comes up beside me. "We're finally here! It sure feels like it took forever, though."

I smile down at him and muss his hair. "That's 'cause it did."

My parents come up behind me and Dad puts a hand on my shoulder. "The place looks pretty good."

Mom smiles at how he says it in such a blasé fashion. "It looks better than good. If ever there was a place fitting for our May, it's here!"

I immediately fight down a blush, embarrassed by their words. "Uh… right. So, I'm gonna go check out my room, okay? You guys can just… go check out the rest of the campus. We'll meet back here later."

My parents – okay, my _dad _–frowned, worried. "Are you sure you want to go alone? Can you handle your bag? It's pretty heavy…"

Okay, now they're just being ridiculous. I've done some dumb things in the past, but I think I know well enough not to pack my bag to the point where I can't carry it. I mean, how stupid would that be?

"I'll be fine. Just go, okay? We'll meet back here in… about an hour. Then you guys can tell me goodbye and leave."

They nod in unison, and Mom in particular feels the need to give me a hug _right now_. "Okay. We'll see you later, sweetie!" I blush furiously at both the unexpected contact – and in front of so many people, too! – and the use of that horrid nickname _again_.

The first thing I notice is the grass. It's so _green_! Now, the Hoenn region is known for having healthy and beautiful nature everywhere you look, but I honestly didn't expect such a pretty sight here in Johto. And in a bustling city, no less! There are trees here and there, with most all of them shading other students.

Spotting something else, my eyes light up. _Cool! A fountain! _The fountain is probably about eight feet in diameter, and has two entangled fish spouting water from the center. If I squint hard enough, I can even see coins in it! _I'm gonna have to remember to try out the "toss a penny over your shoulder and make a wish" thing later…_

There were people everywhere. On the steps, under trees, near the dorms, and… a few feet away… staring right at me. I glance around nervously, uncomfortable at the sudden attention.

There are three people standing around in the entrance with me – I note with surprise that all three are boys. Only two of them are actually paying me any mind, though.

The first is a – _cute!_ – boy with light brown hair that spikes up. His eyes are a sort of teal color that is actually _very_ attractive, but the expression on his face turns me off. He's got that superior, "I am better than thou" thing going on. He's also glaring at me. For no reason. _Maybe I should just leave him alone…_

The second person I turned my attention to was, thankfully, not nearly so intimidating – but he wasn't nearly as good looking, either. He's got dark skin and even darker hair that is short and spiked. His eyes are pretty unusual in that he _doesn't seem to have them_. In their place are two slits. _Where could he possibly be from to have such weird eyes?_It's hard to tell, but I get the feeling that he is, erm… "admiring" me. _I'm __**definitely **__gonna leave him alone!_

Finally, boy number three is the one _not _staring at me. He's got purple hair that falls to about his chin, and has his arms crossed. Since he's not facing me, that's really all I can tell about him. But he does have this kind of scary aura about him… _You know what? I think I'll just ignore all three of them._

This thought firmly in my head, I bend down and pick up my bag. _TUG. _Er… try to, anyway. I blink in shock at my bag and note that it hadn't budged an inch. _Just great… _Gritting my teeth, I put all my effort into it and try to lift the bag again.

_TUG, TUG. PULL. _With literally every ounce of my strength, the bag slowly lifts off the ground. I smile. _Yes! Now… how am I gonna get this to my room? _My strength, of course, chooses then and there to give out, sending my bag crashing back to the ground, me in tow.

"Whoa!" I get back up a moment later, rubbing my sore head and pouting.

Boy 1 is watching me in amusement, a smirk on his face. _Jerk… _

Boy 2 is instead looking at me with concern in his slits (how I saw the emotion in them is actually beyond me), clearly pondering over whether or not to come to my aid. _I'm fine, thanks._

Lastly, Boy 3 is finally looking my way as well. The only expression in his eyes is that of indifference. He is the epitome of "I don't care". _Uh…_

I look between the three, as my mind comes to a sad resolution. Whether I like it or not, the only way this bag is getting anywhere is if one of these boys helps me out. The question is, which one should I ask? I really rather not talk to all three of them, but…

I pick what I hope to be the lesser of three evils – he's not – in Mr. I-don't-care. He scowls as I approach him. "What?"

I flinch slightly, but don't back down. "Uh, sorry to bother you, but I'm new here, and I kinda sorta… packed my bag to heavy for me to carry. Would you please help me carry it to my room?"

He forgoes indifference for jerkass-ness and glares. "No. Why should I help you out? You're just another pathetic new girl in the place. Get some other loser to help you." That said, he walks off.

I glare back, wishing I could give him a scathing reply, but settling for sticking my tongue out at him. _Well, at least now I know what color his eyes are… They're black, like his heart!_

Turning around, I see Guy 1 snickering at me, condescendence in his eyes. I stick my tongue out at him, too, but it only results in making his snickers increase. I cross my arms and pout. _Isn't there anyone who can help me?_

An answer from hell comes in the form of Guy 2. He clears his throat before walking up to me. I stare at him cautiously, not sure what to think. "Need some help?"

I blink in confusion, but then offer a small smile. "Uh, yeah, actually. Would you…?"

He grins. "Sure thing! I'd do anything to help a girl as cute as you! Say, are you interested in maybe getting a bite to eat together later? I could cook us a romantic meal…"

I recoil instantaneously. _I knew it!_ "Um, sorry, but I'm not interested. You're not really my type."

He sighs. "Aw, well. It happens. You know, you're the fourth girl today to reject me."

I take pity on the poor guy and pat his shoulder."Well… don't worry! I'm sure there's a girl out there for you somewhere! You just haven't found her yet. It, uh, also doesn't help that you're so intense about it…"

He looks up at me from where he'd been staring at his feet, suddenly hopeful. "You think so?"

I give him an encouraging nod. "I _know_ so. In fact, I'd be willing to help you out if you helped me." I resist the urge to clap my hands over my mouth, cursing myself for letting the words spill out.

"Huh?"

I sigh in exasperation, both at this guy's apparent idiocy, and at my own stupid mistake. Too late to turn back now. "I mean, where I'm from, I'm kinda known as a matchmaker, and I'd be totally willing to help you find a girlfriend if you'd just help me get this stuff to my room." _Actually, I'd rather not help you, but I will because I said so. Why is it that I'm already making my new life revolve around others? College was supposed to be about me, darn it!_

His answer is automatic: He grins at me maniacally before leaning back down and hefting my bag off the ground with ease. _Whoa! He did that so easily! _He grabs my arm with his free hand.

"Well what are we waiting for? Where's your dorm room? Let's go!"

I can't help but giggle at his enthusiasm before pulling out the campus map. Glancing between it and the dorms themselves, I grit my teeth. _Uh… which way is my dorm again…? _Hoping for the best, I take one final look at the confounding map before pointing.

"My dorm's that way!"

Boy 2, whose name I _still_ don't know, looked over to the dorm I'd randomly pointed at and frowned. "Mason Dorm? Huh, that's odd… Not many new kids get sent there…" He brightened suddenly. "Actually, that's the dorm I'm in. That means we'll be spending a lot of time together! Isn't that great?"

I inwardly cringed. "Yeah…" _Uh oh. Not only did I accidentally give him the wrong dorm, he thinks we're gonna be all buddy-buddy… _

"Oh, I just realized. I haven't introduced myself, have I? The name's Brock. Nice to meet you…"

Despite my inner panic, I forced a smile. "May. May Maple. So, what, do you not have a last name?"

He chuckles. "Of course I've got a last name. Everyone does. I just happen to never use mine." He shifted the bag into a more comfortable position on his shoulder, but then some of my papers fell out. "Oh, sorry about that! Let me just pick those up for you…" He trailed off as he got a look at the papers. "Uh, May? According to these papers, you're supposed to be in the Heathrow Dorm."

I blushed and stole a quick look to the side.

As Brock and I had yet to move from where he'd walked up to me, Boy 1 was still there within earshot of the whole conversation. The moment Brock had spoken, he'd burst out laughing, obviously having figured out what Brock hadn't yet. I glare furiously at him, deciding instantly that a better name for him would be "The Brat".

Brock raised his eyebrows before finally realizing it himself. "You can't read the map, can you." He didn't even question it, just stated it flatly. I flinched, hearing The Brat's laughter increase.

"Well…"

"Why didn't you just tell me? It would've saved you from this embarrassment."

I huffed. "Well, I didn't want you or anybody else thinking I was dumb, 'cause I'm NOT!" I delivered the last line while glaring daggers at The Brat. "I'm just not very good at geography and reading maps, that's all…" _I'm just not good at geography in general, actually. Put me in a new place – like here, for instance – and I'd be lost instantly! Not that anyone needs to know that…_

Brock sighs, but I do catch an amused inflection to it. "It's okay, I don't mind. Now…" He turns in the complete opposite direction, and I do a 180 to stay with him. "Your dorm is that way."

"…" Thank god there's no mirror around. I probably look like a tomato from all this humiliation! _Man, not only was I off, I wasn't even close! _

We start walking away, but both end up turning back a moment later upon hearing shouts. A black haired boy with a baseball cap on is running up to The Brat and just generally making a ruckus.

"GARY! I didn't know you were coming here! What a shock!"

The Brat – or Gary, as he's apparently called – smirked."I'm not surprised, Ashy-boy. You don't know very much, so anything new must come as a shock. Not to mention, you're late, like always."

I have to raise an eyebrow at the name. _Uh… Ashy-boy? What's up with that? _

The black haired guy – I'm just guessing his name is Ash, based off of The Brat's, whose name I refuse to use, nickname – scowls. "Aw, what do _you_ know, anyway?"

At this point, Brock cuts in, so I can no longer hear the two argue. "Heh. Those two. Always fighting. They sure haven't changed."

I whip around and stare at him, mouth agape. "Wait! You _know_ them?"

He stares down at me, acting as if it were no big deal. "Yeah. I've been friends with Ash for years. He and Gary have been rivals since before even that. It's funny, really. Wherever one goes, the other appears."

I frowned, processing the information. "Hmm."

The rest of the trip to my dorm was spent in silence, with the occasional angry scream from Ash a little ways away being heard.

* * *

Standing next to me right outside my new room, Brock frowned. I did, too, if for no other reason than that I wanted to know what was up with him.

"Room 42. I feel sorry for you, May. You have to put up with _them_."

At his words, felt a chill go down my spine. "Who's '_them_', Brock? They can't be too terrible, right?"

His only response was to shake his head. The people inside the room were becoming more and more ominous by the second. "They're two troublemakers. They're best friends who go and do everything together. They're supposedly crazy. I've actually only heard about them, myself, never met them in person. Still, everything I've heard was pretty bad. The only good thing about them is the fact that they're…" He trailed off as the door opened to reveal two girls about my age, both staring curiously at us. Brock went starry-eyed. "…Cute!"

I catch on to what he's about to do immediately. Before he has the chance to be overly romantic and gushy with my new roommates, I latch onto his arm and yank him backwards. _Oh, no you don't! You are __**not**__ ruining my meeting with them just because you flirt with any girl that moves! Besides, you'd fail anyway… probably._

"…And so not right for you! Trust me, Brock. I can tell that, just by looking at them, they're not right for you. Neither one of them is your match, so you can just go on back to your dorm, okay? I think I can handle my bag from here."

He pouts. "…Are you sure?"

Sadly, I recognize that he's inquiring about the former statement, not the latter. _What a one-track mind… _ "Yes, I'm sure. About _all_ of it. You can go now, Brock. I'll, uh… meet you tomorrow and we can start our search for your perfect girl, 'kay?"

He nods before giving one last longing look in the girl's direction and leaving. Sighing, I turn back to get a better look at my soon-to-be roommates.

The first of the two has… pink… hair that frames her face and spikes out to the side at the end. Her eyes appear to be a caramel(ish) color and she has very fair skin. She appears to be just a bit taller than me, and she's frowning slightly, pink lips curled in a pout-like way.

The second girl seemed much more accepting of me being here. Her hair was a slightly orange tinted blonde, and she also has caramel colored eyes. Her skin is even paler than her friend's, and she was just a bit shorter, too. She was smiling warmly at me with her ruby-red lips, but I could tell she was curious.

The pink haired one cleared her throat before smiling and sticking out a hand. "Hi! I don't know who you are or why you're here, but I'm Whitney! This here is my friend Mary! What do you want?"

Mary looked – rightly – appalled at Whitney's words. "Don't be so rude! I'm sure she's got a reason for being here…" She suddenly brightened, as if struck by an idea. "Oh! You're our new roommate, correct?"

I smile nervously. _Brock was right, they're a bit… unusual. _ "Uh, yeah. I'm May Maple." I glanced between the two girls, both of which had offered me a hand to shake, before smiling. I proceeded to give one arm to each of them and shook hands. "It's nice to meet you."

The two smiled back. Mary continued on, "Right! So, is that your bag over there? It looks pretty big…"

"It is. I accidentally packed it a little too much… Could you guys help me out?"

The girls smiled at each other before carefully lifting my bag, one on each side. They lead me to a small room with a bunk bed.

"Which one do you want?"

"Um… top."

Whitney grins, although she seems a bit _too _eager, if you ask me. "Top it is! Mary, on the count of three, you know what to do. I'll start. One!"

The two started swinging their arms and the bag. Mary smiled nervously at me, which made me worry just a bit. "Two."

The two girls – okay, mostly Whitney – grinned like maniacs, which made me worry just a _lot_. "Three! Heave, ho!"

In swift unison, they tossed my bag onto the top bunk, where it landed with a thud. I flinched as I was almost sure I heard something crack or break in the bag.

Whitney smiled before grabbing my arm and dragging me out to the main room to sit on the couch, Mary following behind. "You can unpack later. Let's get to know each other now!"

I glanced nervously between the two of them. On my left, Mary looked unhappy at her friend's attitude and way of doing things, but had seemingly given up on trying to fix it. To my right, Whitney was grinning cheerily at me, oblivious to how much her intensity was kinda scaring me. Again, I thought that maybe Brock had been right. Whitney at least fit the description. She just seemed to be a troublemaker and was a bit of a loon, that's for sure. Mary just went along with whatever she did, apparently.

The two looked at my expression and frowned. "We know what you're thinking. I bet you've heard the rumors about us, right? Well, don't believe them, 'cause they're wrong!"

Mary looked sympathetically at her friend. "Whitney's right, May. Those rumors are cold and cruel to us, but they're untrue most of all. We're not crazy, and we certainly don't go looking for trouble."

Whitney brightened. "Right! We go looking for adventure and fun!"

Mary rolled her eyes. "Or rather, _she_ does, and I go along. I get the feeling her aggressive and passionate nature was sort of scaring you, but that's just how she is. Please, May. Give us a chance as roommates, okay?"

Looking between the two, I caved. _I'm still not sure what to think, but… I want to give this a try. _"Okay. I'm not sure if it's permanent or not, but at least for now, I'll stay."

Whitney gave me quite a shock when, moments later, she threw her arms around me in a tight hug, all with Mary looking on and smiling softly. "Great! Welcome, roomie!"

I frowned a minute later and bit my lip in confusion as a realization struck me. "So, wait. You two were here last year, too, right? How come you don't already _have_ roommates?"

My question caused a rather odd reaction from the two of them. Whitney blushed furiously, and Mary just sighed. "Well you see, May. It was all Whitney's fault, really. Last year, back when we _had_ roommates, she got this brilliant idea to have an all-night party with just the four of us. It started out okay, but then started escalating out of control until…"

It was at this point that I inadvertently started to zone out. I could sort of guess what had happened, anyway. It really did seem that trouble followed the two. _They don't go looking for trouble, it goes looking for __**them**_! I started to glance around the room, observing it.

The living room was probably only about the size of my bedroom back home. It was pretty small for a living room, but still far bigger than the two bedrooms. _Speaking of bedrooms, what's theirs like? _I looked to their room, only to see a door blocking my view._ Talk about the unreveal._ Sighing, I turned back to my examination.

There was a couch in the center, the one all three of us were sitting on, and two recliners off in different corners. A slim black wide-screen TV sat about six feet in front of the couch positioned just-so in a way that let people from the chairs or the sofa see what it was playing. I glanced once more at the door leading to their little bedroom. I honestly don't know why I kept looking at it. Something about their room bothered me, but I couldn't figure out what. The door was cracked open, but I couldn't see inside. I could swear I saw something walk by the door, but it was gone the moment I noticed it.

"…And that's the story! Pretty wild, huh?" I whipped back around to face Mary. She was giving me a pointed look, indicating that while she knew I hadn't been paying attention, I should play along.

Fighting back embarrassment, I manage to say, "Uh, yeah! Sounds that way to me…" Finally, the light I'd been waiting for clicked on. I looked between my room and theirs once more just to make sure. "Why do you guys have a door, but I don't?"

Mary colored slightly at the question. "Oh, that… Well, it's for privacy. You know, so she and I can have… best-friend time…" I stared at her, cynical. "It was Whitney's idea…"

_Ah, no wonder… _I giggled.

Whitney sighed before giving me a cold look. "Just so you know, we like our privacy a lot. No one is allowed into our room until they've knocked or spoken or something, and one of us has answered, alright? Keep that in mind, you can't go in their without our consent." Suddenly fearful, I nodded quickly. Whitney's smile returned immediately. "Good! As long as you remember that rule, we'll get along fine!"

I glanced back at my room, eager to change the subject. "So, who's gonna get the bottom bunk in my room?"

The two shrugged. "We don't know her name yet. She's supposedly from far away, and she won't be arriving until, like, the day school starts. I heard she's from Sinnoh."

"Sinnoh? Really? Cool! I can't wait to meet her…" The moment the words left me, a small noise distracted me. "What's that sound?"

Listening carefully, I pointed. "It's coming from over there!" We all looked to see… the door to their bedroom. The two girls looked at each other, frantic, before racing over and putting themselves in front of the door.

"What sound? There is no sound! You need to get your hearing checked…"

"Myah."

I perked up. "That sounded like a kitty!"

The two girls rushed to shut the door, but it was too late. The creature on the other side had pawed the door open enough to the point where it had managed to squeeze through. The creature leaped out in front of me, staring like only a cute little animal could. I was down on my knees beside it in a second. "It's _so_ CUTE! Aw, aren't you just the sweetest little thing? Yes you are, oh yes you are!"

One day, I was sure to look back on this day in total humiliation. As anyone could see, I have a total weakness for kittens. I pet it gently, intrigued by its oddly colored fur.

It was easily the most unique cat I'd ever seen, with a body of orange(ish) yellow colored fur from the stomach down, plus on its face. Still, what intrigued me more was the fur above the stomach. It was a purplish pink color, which I'd never seen on another animal before. Not to mention, its tail had what almost looked like three little mini tails sprouting from it. The kitten purred and rubbed against my leg gently.

"Well, I guess we've been caught." I looked up to see the two girls hovering over me, both slightly fearful. "This is our kitten, Skitty. She's a really rare breed from far away, and it cost a lot of money to buy her. So when we did, we couldn't bear to leave her! We took her along with us. It's… kinda against the rules to have pets. You won't tell anyone, right?"

I shook my head and smiled, vaguely aware that within an hour of meeting them, my roommates already had me breaking rules, but couldn't bring myself to care. "Of course I won't tell anyone! I love cats, too. So do guys like share the kitten then?"

Whitney grinned. "Well, she actually belongs to Mary. Skitty was my birthday gift to her, and she brought her with her to college."

I nodded, and again something clicked. "I get it now! That's why your privacy is so important, right? So you can keep Skitty a secret?"

Mary reddened slightly before nodding. "Um… yeah. Let's go with that."

Whitney smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But even now that you know, we'd appreciate it if you'd still follow that rule, 'kay?"

"A-alright…" _I don't get it, but whatever…_

The girls smiled, and Mary's color returned to normal. "Wow, time's just been flying! You've been here for about forty minutes already."

I paled. "Forty minutes?" _Let's see, that plus all the time I spent getting here equals… _"Oh, no! I'm totally late! Sorry to rush out like this guys, but my family's expecting me! Later!" I waved before rushing past them, already knowing how my family would react to me being late. Reaching the elevator, I pressed the down button swiftly. When waiting for a good ten seconds yielded no change, I gave up and began to race down the nearby stairwell.

No one else was around, so, to relieve some steam, I shouted, "Oh, just great! I'm so late! Dad and Max are so gonna chew me out for this! Mom's going to be disappointed 'cause after all this time, I still can't show up on time to anything, and – just – _ooh_! I'm late, I'm late, I am _so_ LATE!"

When I reached the last floor, still sprinting, despite the circumstances, I couldn't help but celebrate. _Only like three steps left! I'll make it down an entire set of stairs without tripping for once!_

Of course, irony, being the cruel bitch it is, chose that moment to strike me, as my foot missed the intended step and instead landed precariously on the one below it, throwing me off balance.

To make matters worse, I couldn't have just fell on my butt, _no_, there had to be a _person_ there who I landed on. I sent us both tumbling to the floor, him hitting the ground hard, and me landing on him with an, "Oomph!"

As he groaned in pain beneath me, I hurried to disentangle myself. As bad of me as it was, I had to leave him there and get going. _I'm late enough as it is!_ "I'm sorry!" I called behind me. "I would help you up, but I'm really, _really _LATE!"

Just before the door slammed shut behind me, I heard him shout, "Yeah, I know! I heard you screaming from way down here! Watch where you're going from now on, you klutz!" Even in my panic, I couldn't help but blush in mortification at his words as I rushed out of the dorm and towards the gates. _Stupid! I can't believe I was dumb enough to shout like that… I should've known __**someone**__ would hear me… Still, did he have to be so rude? _

Of course, admittedly, it was all my fault, and we both knew it. But that still doesn't give him an excuse to act that way. _Hmph! He's probably one of those preppy guys who thinks that he's all that. I mean, who dyes his hair white?_

I sighed and finally slowed down as I saw my family waiting impatiently for me by the gates. Once they noticed me, they began to walk over.

Max frowned. "Geez, May! You're fifteen minutes late! I knew you were slow, but _this_…"

I scowled before swatting my brother. "Oh, shut up! I was busy. Mom, Dad, sorry I'm late. I was actually getting to know my roommates, and we sorta lost track of time…"

My parents sighed before my mother smiled. "It's okay, May. We understand. And we're happy to know you're already making friends. And besides, you wouldn't be you if you weren't late!"

Dad put a hand on my shoulder, like he always seems to do. "Still, I don't like the idea of leaving our little girl here by herself. May, are you sure you don't want to go to college somewhere closer to home?"

I roll my eyes. Is he seriously still trying to get me to Rustboro University? I guess I really do get my stubborn streak from him… "Yes, Dad. I'm sure. I'll be fine here. Besides, I'm not alone, I've got friends. What I'm more worried about is you guys. However will you live without me?"

The mood was just so serious, that I couldn't help but to try lighten it up. I _hate_ serious moments.

Max smirked at me. "Much better, that's how."

Of course, our parents looked scandalized at his words. But I smiled. I know that really, he wants to keep things light-hearted, too. He hates serious moments even more than I do.

Just for a moment, I give in to emotion and bend down and hug him. "Aw, I love you too, Max."

He stiffened awkwardly, clearly having not expected that, but then hesitantly returned the hug. "…I'll miss you…" He whispered. I smiled gently before giving him a kiss on the forehead.

Sometimes, I love being his sister. "I'll miss you too, Max. After all…"

I stood up and mussed his hair again, to which he squawked, "Hey!"

"…Who else will I have to tease now?"

He glared and stuck out his tongue. I returned the action. "…You're not nice, May." _Sometimes, I love being his sister._ …Other times, I wish I was an only child. Luckily, this was a former moment, not a latter.

My parents both took turns hugging me. The four of us stood at the gate, them not really wanting to leave me, and me not sure of what to do.

Finally, my father cleared his throat. "Well, it's high time we got going. We'll all miss you tremendously May, but if this is what you really want…"

"And it is." I had to cut in.

"…Then we'll let you be. I wish you good luck, sweetie. Come home every chance you get, okay?"

I nodded. "I will."

Mom went all teary-eyed before throwing her arms around me one last time. "Oh, my baby's grown up! We love you, darling! Remember to take care of yourself and have fun, okay?"

I nodded once more, trying not to break out into tears myself. "Okay, Mom. Goodbye."

As the slowly piled back into the car, and then drove away… I watched it all. I stood there watching until I couldn't see them anymore.

I wiped the lone tear that had managed to escape and headed off towards my dorm. Sure I would miss my family terribly, but this is the start of my journey. A whole new world awaits me!

I reached my room ten minutes later and stopped to tell my roommates I was back before going into my new – soon to be shared – bedroom. As I began unpacking my bags, only one thought crossed my mind:

_School starts in one week.

* * *

_

AN-Whitney and Mary are based off of the manga, in which Whitney _is_ a tad out there, and she and Mary _are _best friends. I tried to imply that the two are actually more than friends without outright stating it, here, too. That way, those that don't like it can ignore it if they want to. And I know that Brendan doesn't have white hair, but May only glimpsed him, remember… Reviews are appreciated!


	2. The Start of School Part 1

Edited - No major changes, so really the only reason to reread is to refresh your memory. I debated changing Damion's name to Barry (I wrote this before the anime made that his official name; can you believe it was so long ago?), but truthfully, I HATE the name Barry. Plus, I like the fact that he and Dawn's names both start with the same letter, so...

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Start of School, Part 1**

My best friend Roxanne once told me that I couldn't seem to hold on to cash longer than it took to say the word "spend". She says all I ever do is "Buy, buy, buy. Spend, spend, spend." She hasn't trusted me with money since that trip to the Rustboro mall we had a few years ago.

What had happened was, I'd spent all my money on clothes and candy, so I asked Roxanne to lend me some so I could get some ice cream for us. She had given me all she had with her, informing me not to use it all. But on the way to the ice cream stand, I passed by this shop that had the _cutest_ accessories I'd ever seen.

I had ended up coming back to Roxanne with three shopping bags filled with matching barrettes for us, the ribbon bow she wears on her outfit somewhere even today, a red ruby ring for her and a sapphire for me (they were fake, of course), multiple bags of hair ties, a hair straightener for her (it's a little known fact that her hair is actually curly), various sets of makeup for both of us, and a red bandana I often wear even today, both hands filled with two chocolate fudge ice cream cones, her wallet void of cash.

She's never lent me cash again.

Standing where I am now, I realize that she's right; I can't be trusted with money. How do I know this? Because where I am right now, looking upon one of the greatest malls in the _world_, I fully intend to put my family deep into debt.

* * *

_Before me was the great Goldenrod Mall. I wasn't even inside, and I could feel the money in my pocket ready to be spent. Nothing was going to stop me from going on a shopping spree in that place. __**Nothing. **__Who cares if I have no recollection of how I got here? My roommates are far away, Brock's not here to beg for girl advice – he's been bugging me about it every day for the past __**week!**__ – and, the best part, my parents are long gone. They won't be taking the money away today!_

_Walking in, I saw that everything was just like I'd imagined. The walls were decorated with various pretty things, there were free candy samples at the door, and the clothes on the racks looked too good to be true. It was like a fairytale kind of place, with its own special magic. A nice looking lady with pink hair tied in loops and crystal blue eyes walked up to me._

"_Welcome to the Goldenrod Mall. I hope you enjoy your stay here. Please, would you like to try this caramel centered chocolate sample? It's free."_

_I beamed at her. This was the kind of thing I'd dreamed of._ "_Why, thank you! I definitely would like to try it!"_

_She smiled pleasantly at me before handing over the little square of chocolate. YUM. Soft, creamy, caramel goodness, with solid milk chocolate like no other as well! Oh, yum. Now, I'd had candy like this before, but it's never tasted quite like this. "This" being heaven._

_"Oh my god, this is like the greatest thing I've ever tasted! I __**have **__to get some of this stuff!"_

_The lady smiled once more before pointing._ "_You can buy some over there. Thank you for shopping with us today, May."_

_I grinned at her. _"_No, thank __**you. **__This place is the best! Please, I've got to know your name." _

"_Oh, you can just call me Joy. Everyone does."_

_I nodded._ "_Okay then. Joy. Thanks for having such a wonderful place to shop. This place is amazing!" That said, I turned around and got in the line for more chocolate. I blinked suddenly, realizing something. How did she know my name, I wonder. I never told her. I turned back around to ask her, but she was gone. Shrugging, I just decided to ignore it. I paid for my chocolate before going over to some conveniently nearby tables to sit and dig into it. Sticking the first of many into my mouth, I sighed happily.

* * *

_

"I've died and gone to heaven…" I murmured.

"Or maybe you've gone to sleep and are dreaming!" I twitched at the voice before rolling over, eyes still tightly shut.

* * *

"_All the CD's are on sale, so you can go right ahead and buy, buy, buy!" The pink loopy haired woman said. _

"_Thanks, Joy! I'm gonna do just that." Awesome music, here I come!_

"_Oh, I'm not Joy. I'm her sister."_

_I blinked._ "_Really? Then what's your name?" _

"_Joy." _Uh…

* * *

"Hey. Sleepyhead. Wake up." I twitched again.

"Don wanna…" I slurred.

"Ugh. Come on, you can't sleep forever!" I rolled away from the voice.

* * *

_I gaped. "Those. Shoes. Are. __**Gorgeous**__!"_

_One of apparently many Joys held up a pair._ "_These are half-off. And they're your size…"_

_I eyed them for a minute before snatching them quickly._ "_I'll take 'em! Thanks, uh… Joy."

* * *

_

"Wake up, already!" I sighed before snuggling further into the covers. "Alright, you asked for it!"

"Whitney, please don't do that! It's mean, and she looks like she's having such a nice dream…"

"All good things come to an end."

"…Isn't that a song?"

"…Whatever."

* * *

_Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt truly __**beautiful**__ instead of just cute for once in my life. _

"_This dress is so beautiful…"_

_Joy number god-knows-what smiled._ "_And it looks even better on you. It's fitting, don't you think? A beautiful dress for a beautiful girl." _

"_Yeah…" _

_I was just pulling out more cash – I was starting to wonder where it had all come from, considering the fact that I had to have spent almost a thousand bucks by now – to buy the dress when something happened._

_A loud thumping started all around me. WHOOMP! WHOOMP! I looked around frantically, but everything seemed fine. It was as if I was the only one who could hear it all. Then, it felt like something hit me. It wasn't very hard, it actually didn't hurt at all. Still, the force of the blow was knocking the air out of me. _

"_Who's there?" WHOOMP! I fell to my knees._

"_Wake up already! I not gonna keep this up forever!"_

_I blinked, recognizing the voice instantly. _"_Whitney? Is that you? What are you doing?" _

"_**WAKE UP**__!"

* * *

_

"Whoa!" I bolted up in my bed only to see Whitney and Mary staring at me. I coughed. "What were you doing, Whitney? I was having the best dream of my life, and you woke me up!"

The aforementioned girl sighed before tossing the pillow she'd been beating me with back on the bottom bunk of my bed."You were the one who wanted to make sure we woke you up bright and early today, remember? Something about wanting to be ready and looking good for your first day of college…"

I jumped up out of bed immediately at her words. "Oh that's right! Today's the first day of college!"

They nodded at me. "Yep. Are you excited?"

"Well, obviously! This is like the first step towards the rest of my life! What I do at college decides practically my whole future!"

Whitney rolled her eyes. "You make it sound so fun and easy… Really, it's as if you're looking forward to hours of torture in class, hours of torture of dealing with homework, and the torture of dealing with peer pressure all day long. And people say _I'm _weird…"

I couldn't help but scratch my head sheepishly at that before glancing around the room I'd decorated, still welling up with excitement.

The mini closet I was supposed to share with my roommate – who _still_ hadn't arrived yet; she's going to be late at this rate! – was a little over half-full. I actually had enough clothes to fill it all the way, but figured it'd be best to leave some space for my future roomie. There was a small desk in the corner that I'd claimed as my own. It had a lamp on top along with various papers. I knew it was meant to be a working kind of desk, but I'd placed a big mirror on top of it against the wall, turning it into my own personal vanity. After all, I just didn't have the necessary room to put my make-up on and do my hair in the bathroom. A stack of movies I'd brought along lay on the floor beside the desk, out of the way. I'd even exchanged the sheets and blankets given for my bunk with my own, more comfortable and unique, ones. I glanced at the bottom bunk, which was void of any trace that someone was using it. The sheets and blankets were still the same, albeit a little bit mussed.

I sighed. "When is our last roommate gonna get here? School starts _today_! She's late…"

The two girls shared a glance before simultaneously sighing. Whitney wrapped her arm around my shoulder in a sisterly fashion. "Don't worry, she'll be here. Being a little late won't kill her. But that's… not really the problem is it?"

Mary smiled at me. "You want to make a special friend here, too, right? Being best friends with someone who shares a room with you… is that what you want?"

I nodded, a bit amazed at their perception. _Those two… within the span of a week already know me this well. _"Yeah. Back home, I had a best friend who lived in a city nearby, but she's going to college elsewhere. I want another best friend. One who I can stay up all night with talking about, well… anything! I know that even if I get a new best friend, she won't replace Roxanne, but that's not what I want, anyway. I just want… well… I guess I kinda want to have the same kind of relationship you two have with my roommate when she gets here. That's why I wish she'd hurry up!"

The two reacted oddly, blushing just a tad. Mary stuttered out, "Y-yeah. Um, a relationship like ours… Uh, sorry May, but I don't thinks that's possible. It takes years of friendship to form the kind of… _bond_ we share."

Whitney relaxed before heading towards the living room. "Yep. What she said. Well, I've had enough of the chit-chat this morning. I'm gonna go watch Sailor Moon."

I blinked before giving a look of disbelief to Mary. "Uh… Sailor Moon?" _Seriously? __I used to watch that as a kid!_

Apparently, Whitney heard me though, 'cause she called back. "Who says grown-ups can't watch cartoons? There's nothing wrong with it!" Mary gave a sheepish smile at her friends antics before shrugging in a 'what-can-you-do?' sort of way. She went in and sat down beside her on the couch to watch the latest episode of Whitney's cartoon anime guilty pleasure.

I sighed before going to take a shower. Like always, my shower took about half an hour. After I'd washed myself off thoroughly, I got out and changed into the outfit I'd chosen.

It'd taken me about fifteen minutes of contemplation before I actually chose said outfit. After all, I didn't want to accidentally overdress and give people the wrong idea. I had decided on something simple in the end. So, I changed into one of my favorite outfits in hopes that it would be expressing the real me while still making me look good. I ate my breakfast next – A chocolate chip granola bar and a bowl of Rice Krispies. Yum!

Then, I spent the next hour getting ready. I brushed my teeth with mint toothpaste, popped in a breath mint afterwards just in case, put all my makeup – lip gloss, blush, and mascara, among other things – on, brushed my hair, and was ready to go. Before I left, however, I decided to take one last look in the mirror to make sure I really did look good. _Let's see here… _

I was wearing a long white spaghetti-strap T-shirt with a red half-sleeved jacket that had a black area under the collar over it, my jacket coming to rest at about my waist with my undershirt falling even farther to rest just below my hips, and I had black shorts that went to just above my knees on, my trusty red running shoes, and my red bandana with the white pattern I _still_ couldn't figure out after all these years. I smiled. I looked about as good as I could in an outfit like that, so I was happy. I said bye to my roommates and headed out the door.

Walking through the campus towards the building for freshmen, I couldn't help but smile. The sun was shining, there were people together and laughing as they walked towards their destinations, and everything just had a very "feel-good" atmosphere about it. It all felt… well, just perfect! Oh, yeah, I could just tell, something _great _was gonna happen today.

I finally reached the correct building and stopped to check the map, hoping it would tell me which way my first class was. Luckily, the map was pretty simple, so I was able to figure out where all my classes were relatively quickly. I smiled once more before heading off to Room 51.

Standing outside the door minutes later, I worriedly checked the clock. I was about twenty minutes earlier than I was supposed to be. I was sure it was 'cause I was so excited, I had felt the need to head out early. I glanced through the door wondering if I should really go in considering how early I was, when something caught my eye. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement from behind the teacher's desk. _Okay, so at least the teacher's already here. Maybe I can just go ahead and come in. Heh. At least it'll give me time to make a good impression_

Courage renewed, I confidently opened the door and walked in with a smile on my face. "Good morning!"

The figure behind the desk shot up at my words to reveal… a boy. A boy about my age. A _very familiar _looking boy. I tilted my head to the side in confusion. _Uh… why do I feel that I know him? And what's he doing behind the teacher's desk…? _"Um…" I began to question him, but he cut me off.

His eyes widened and he pointed at me. "It's you!"

His words shocked me significantly and I took a step back. _I __**do **__know him! But how…? _"Uh… yes, it's me, but how do you know me?"

He narrowed his eyes at my response. "You mean to say you don't remember?"

My eyes widen. _Oh, I hope he's not some guy from my past who I dumped or something. That'd be so mortifying. _"No…?"

He sighed. "I was the guy you _fell on _in the stairwell last week."

_Oh!_ Of course, now that he'd said it, I could remember. The race down, the trip, me landing on him and then rushing away with barely any apology…

I blushed in embarrassment and took a moment to scan the room, hopeful that no one else was here to hear what he'd said. To my utter shock and disdain, there was. A familiar boy, with a memorable _smirk_ plastered across his face. That completely annoying, irritating, _brat_.

_As if things couldn't get any worse…_ I choose to ignore him for now, and try to explain myself. "Look, I'm really sorry. It's just that my family was waiting for me, and I didn't want to be any later than I already was!"

He raised an eyebrow. "And I already know all this. You were screaming about it as you went down the stairs, remember?"

My mortification and blush intensified at his words, plus The Brat started sniggering. As there was obviously no way to discuss this without me being totally humiliated, I searched frantically for a different topic. "Oh, whatever! What were you doing behind the teacher's desk, anyway? Only teachers are allowed there!"

He looked at me blankly, indicating he was thinking something along the lines of, _Is she really this dumb?_,making my scowl darken. "Well, considering I _am _the teacher, I think I'm allowed to be there!"

I stared in shock before shaking my head swiftly. _That's just not possible! Right? Oh god, please don't let him be the teacher…_"No way. No way! You can't be the teacher, you're like my age! You're lying!"

"I'm twenty-two."

"So you're three years older than me, so what? That's still too young to be a teacher!" He raised an eyebrow at my words and I immediately realized my mistake. _Oops… I should've said 'four' years, not three! Stupid! Now there's no way I'll be able to hide it! _

"I'm also brilliant. I've skipped enough grades that I am capable of being a teacher at twenty-two. If you _still_ don't believe me then…" He paused to walk over to his desk, unlock one of the drawers, and pull out some papers. "…What's your name?"

I eyed him warily. "May Maple. Why do you need to know?" He ignored me in favor of scanning the sheet before picking up a stack of papers and flipping through it before finally coming to the one he wanted.

He nodded. "Ah, here it is. Let's see now, May Maple…" He looked over the paper he'd grabbed and smiled. "You're middle name is Sapphire. You have a little brother and two parents you care about very much. And you're nineteen…?" I blushed, completely mortified. He glanced over the papers at me and gave me a smug smile. "You're nineteen at your first year of college because you got held back in fourth grade." He smirked at me. "And I know all that because of these papers which I got from a _locked drawer. _I have the key to said drawer because I _am _the teacher. Believe me now?"

I turned away from him, unable to face the shame. The Brat was full-out laughing now. "…Whatever." _Jerk… Even if he is the teacher, he had no right to just go blurting things out like that! Still, at least he did it now and not when a lot more people were in the room. Maybe I can convince The Brat to keep this quiet…_

The _teacher _looked at me and sighed before pointing to an empty desk. "You sit there."

I looked at where he pointed and then back up at him in outrage. "What? Why are you putting me so close to the front?"

"Because you obviously need all the help you can get to learn. Otherwise, you wouldn't have ever been held back. I'm hoping that if I put you up here, my lessons will be forcibly drilled into your head. And really, there's no use fighting me, because I'm not changing my mind."

I glared at him. "I'll have you know that ever since I got held back that _one time _in _fourth grade, _I've worked very hard and managed to maintain a high C, B, and even the occasional A average in every subject! I'm not dumb at all!"

"I just told you I'm not changing my mind, didn't I? Even if that is the case, you're still sitting up here. Now get moving."

I muttered a few curses softly – _Very _softly. I didn't want him hearing me, 'cause at this rate, he'd probably give me detention for it. Uh… do you still get detention in college? – under my breath and then went over and sat in my assigned seat, grumbling the whole way. He smiled at me in a gloating kind of way, ruby eyes – I'm serious. They're ruby colored. It's actually kind of cool – twinkling.

"There. Now was that so hard?"

"Yes."

He sighed again at my response. "Well get over it. People are going to start filing in any minute now, so I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of trouble."

I glared but remained silent. Sure enough, as he said, moments later, people started flooding in. I'm serious. It was like a sudden rush of people just coming in. One minute, it's just me, the _teacher_, and the Brat – otherwise known as Gary, but I still refuse to call him by his name – and the next, there's like thirty people in here! Open seats were disappearing so fast, it was like they were never there in the first place! Soon, there were only a few open seats left. One of them was directly to my right, and the other was smack dab in the middle of a group of people – so basically, it was unattainable. One late comer rushed in at the last second, _just_ beating the bell signaling the beginning of class.

The black haired, baseball cap wearing, boy looked up and grinned. "YES! I'm not late!"

The teacher – whose name I still didn't know – smiled. "Congrats! Now sit down. There's an open seat in the front next to May. Take it."

The boy looked over at me and smiled. "Uh… okay." The boy went over and sat down beside me. I smiled at him. _He seems friendly enough. Plus, he's kinda cute in a boyish sort of way… _

The teacher cleared his throat. "Okay. Since we're all here, I think it's time I introduced myself. I'm Brendan Birch. I'm twenty-two years old, and this is my first time teaching. Now, I'm sure some of you are wondering why I'm teaching a class when I should really be just getting out of college myself. It's because I've skipped many grades, and that's really all you need to know about it. Since I'm only four years older than _most _of you…" He paused to throw me a sly grin, causing me to blush slightly. "…You can all just call me Brendan. Now, I'm teaching you all Advanced English, correct? Well, I want to make this class as fun as possible. We'll be reading books, having group discussions, role-playing, and most importantly, getting to know each other and making friends! As today is your first day, I want all of you to take it easy. I want all of you to turn to your seat partner and introduce yourself. There may be a few groups of three. You'll have twenty minutes. At the end of those twenty minutes, you're all going to take turns telling us what you just learned about your seat partner. Sound okay to all of you?"

The whole class gave their approval at the – surprisingly fun – idea while I stared at the teacher – no, _Brendan_. _He seems so different from how he was a couple minutes ago, really. Now, he's actually kind of…_ _cool. Maybe I'll like this class after all._..

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boy beside me smile at me again. "Hi. I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in the Kanto region." He held his hand out for me to shake. I smiled. _Not only is he cute, but he's sorta polite, too! _I accepted the offered hand and shook it. Then I realized: _Ash... I've heard that name before! Brock was talking about him. This must be the same Ash. It'll be... interesting to get to know him, I'm sure._

"May Maple from Petalburg City. That's in the Hoenn region."

His eyes widened. "Wow, the Hoenn region? Really? What's it like there?"

_He actually seems honestly interested in hearing about it. That's kind of adorable. _"Hmm, I really guess it all depends what kind of person you are. It's been said that Hoenn is the least technologically advanced, and I guess that's true. But it's also got the best nature areas. It's perfect for traveling. That's kinda my dream, you know. I want to travel all around the world!"

He looked almost awestruck at that. _Like a kid in a candy shop… _"A trip around the world? Sounds kinda difficult if you ask me…"

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. But you don't think it's stupid or like totally impossible, do you?"

He shook his head. "Of course not! Hey, it sounds like a really cool dream to me. In fact, I'm all for it! It's just that it'll be hard to do, that's all."

"So…What about you? What's your dream? What do you see yourself doing in the future?"

He scratched his head sheepishly at that. "Uh… well see, the thing is… I'm not really sure yet."

I gaped. "What? You're coming in to college and yet you don't have any clue as to what you want to do with your life?"

"Uh… Yeah. Could you… not tell people that? I mean, I'm sure I'll figure out what I want to do with my life soon, so…"

I smiled. _Despite the fact that indecisiveness is something I don't like, he makes it work somehow. I don't think I've ever met a __**person**__ I've wanted to treat like a teddy bear more. _"Alright, then. Tell me about your family."

He bit his lip softly, thinking. "Well, I'm an only child. Up until now, I've lived with my mom. She's really nice, though can be a bit of a neat-freak. My dad… he's gone. He left when I was real little, so I don't know about him at all. I suppose Professor Oak is kinda like a father figure to me."

"Professor Oak? Who's that?"

"He's a scientist, and Gary's grandfather. Gary's that guy in the back with the brown spiky hair, in case you don't know. See, he and Gary live in Pallet Town, too. Professor Oak's always looking out for me. So, what about you? What's your family like?"

I grinned. "Oh, we're a pretty average family, I'd say. I've got a little brother Max who always annoys me, my mom Caroline, and my dad Norman. Mom and Dad are really nice people and always looking out for me. Dad's actually the mayor of Petalburg, and my mom stays at home all day, keeping the place looking good and cooking meals and all that."

Ash smiles brightly back. "Sounds like a pretty good family to me."

_Dazzling! _"Yeah. You're… really nice, you know that?"

He blinked at that. "You really think I'm nice? Thanks."

I smiled again at him – _I actually meant for that to be a bit flirty, but the fact that he didn't even notice makes him all the more adorable!_ – before noticing Brendan watching us. The aforementioned teacher/boy/man – really, what am I supposed to call a person practically my age who's teaching me? I'm wigging out about this! – cleared his throat.

"Okay, people I think we've spent enough time getting to know each other. Now it's time to share what you know with the rest of the class. We'll start in the front row. You'll go first." He said this while pointing at Ash, who immediately stiffened at the attention.

He glanced over at me nervously and I gave him a reassuring nod. "Uh… okay then. The girl to my left is May Maple. She's from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region. Her dad is actually the mayor of Petalburg. She's got a stay-at-home mom and a little brother named Max. Her dream is to travel all around the world." He paused to look around. "Okay, I'm done."

Brendan nodded. "Alright, then. We'll go in order down the line, meaning you're next, May."

I smiled and pointed at Ash. "Right! He's Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto. Before he came here, he lived with his mother. From the little bit he told me about her, she seems like a nice woman. He also seems to take after her in that department, considering he's a pretty nice guy, as well." I winked at him, making him blush slightly and some of the people who saw giggle. "That's all."

The introductions continued after that, and soon, everyone was done… or so we thought.

Brendan smiled. "And that's everyone! Now that introductions are all done, we can-" He was cut off by the door banging open to reveal a frantic blue haired girl.

She rushed up to the center of the class and bowed to us all. "Sorry I'm late everyone! I'm Dawn Berlitz, and I've come all the way from Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh! My flight got delayed, so that's why I'm so late. I stopped by my room to drop my stuff off and then came here as fast as I could! Sorry again for all the trouble!"

The whole class stared, me along with them. Then it struck me: _Wait, did she say she's from the Sinnoh region? My roomie is supposed to be from there… Is it possible that that's her? Could my roommate have __**finally**__ arrived?_

Brendan smiled at her before walking over and offering her his hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you Dawn. I'm Brendan Birch, the teacher for this class. We just finished introducing ourselves, so your timing was quite good."

The girl looked quizzically at him while shaking his hand. "You're the teacher? Really?"

He sighed. "Yes, I am. Why does everyone question that? Is it so hard to believe? But that's not what we should be discussing. There's an empty seat back there, okay?" Dawn nodded before weaving her way through the crowd towards her almost unreachable seat. I smiled at her as she passed by. "Now. As I was saying before Dawn came in, I want you all to write a short story. I mean short. It should be about a page long, alright? Just make it up completely. I want to see how creative you all are. It can be about anything and even include a few cusses, as long as it's not overly explicit. This should be an easy enough assignment that I expect it done before class is over, considering you've got roughly thirty minutes."

I spent a moment of my time wondering how such a rude guy could be such an awesome teacher before trying to think of a good idea for a story. Unfortunately, it appeared I'd gone brain-dead, as I couldn't seem to think of a good story for the life of me. I mean sure, I could easily write up a story about some princess in trouble who gets rescued by her knight in shining armor and the two fall in love and live happily ever after, but that's _boring_! Everyone does that! I wanted something different. Something special and unique. So apparently, I was going to have to sit here and think until it came to me. _If _it came to me. I brightened when, ten minutes later, an idea came to me. Sure, it was still about a princess, but this one would be special and different from all the rest. Smiling, I picked up my pencil and began to write.

_There once was a princess unlike any other. No, it wasn't because she was exceedingly beautiful, but because she was PLAIN. Yes, with her mousy brown hair that fell at her shoulders, dull hazel eyes, and above-average height, she was very plain indeed. After all, only so many princesses can be blessed with beauty beyond belief. There was bound to be a princess like her out there SOMEWHERE. _

I flinched and stopped writing as I heard a chuckle beside me. I glared over at Ash. "Something wrong with my story?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No. I was laughing 'cause it's funny. You know, your handwriting is surprisingly normal. I guess I figured it'd be like really girly and loopy or something."

I rolled my eyes. _Girly and loopy? I'm guessing he means cursive, but still...Does he realize how difficult cursive is? Who does he think I am? Do I seriously seem like the kind of girl to waste my time writing cursive?_

"Well I'm not your average girl. Besides, have you _tried_ writing in cursive? It takes a lot longer than writing like this. I don't have time for it. Now, as much as I like talking to you, I've got the rest of this page to fill and only nine minutes to do it. So – I mean no offense when I say this – can you try not to bug me till I'm done?" He nodded. "Okay then. Thanks." With that, I went back to my story.

I spent the next nine minutes writing out my thoughts of the story down onto the paper as quickly as I could, hoping desperately to finish before class ended. Luckily for me, I finished writing the last of it just as the bell rang. Smiling, I gathered my stuff and handed the paper to Brendan as I walked past, intent on going to my next class. I was stopped in the hall, however, by that girl from Sinnoh. What was her name again…? Oh yeah, Dawn.

Dawn smiled at me. "Hi! You're May, right? I'm Dawn Berlitz. I saw a picture of you in my new room, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm your new roommate…?"

My smile widens at her words. "Really? I thought so, but didn't want to ask or anything in case I was wrong. You don't mind taking the bottom bunk of the bed, do you?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. You know, I'm really excited to be here! I hope that we can become great friends!"

_She feels the same way. Thank god. _"Right!"

Dawn looked curiously behind me. "Who're your friends?" _Huh? _I whipped around to see Ash and his friend/rival/_whatever _he is leaning against the wall and watching us.

Ash, being the nice guy he is, immediately stepped forward with a bright smile on his face to introduce himself. "I'm Ash Ketchum. Nice to meet you, Dawn."

She looked between him and The Brat for a moment before smiling even brighter than he was. "The pleasure's all mine! And… who's your friend, Ash?"

"Oh, you mean Gary? Yeah, he's from Pallet Town, like me. We've known each other since we were little!" The Brat rolled his eyes before stepping away from the wall and – presumably – heading towards his next class. I glared. _What, so that jerk isn't even nice enough to say anything to us? _Ash frowned. "Man, that was rude of him. Sorry you two. He's not very nice, even to me."

I frowned, too. "Ya got that right! But according to Brock, you two are rivals! How come you said he's your friend?"

He gaped at me. "Whoa, hang on a minute! You know Brock? Wait… are you that girl he's been telling me and Misty about? That matchmaker?"

"Yep! That's me, alright!"

He snickered at my overly enthusiastic response. "I wonder how long you can keep an attitude like that up. I don't want to say anything mean about him, but Brock just can't seem to find a girlfriend to save his life. Misty says he's 'unmatchable'. I kinda think she's right." Dawn and I both giggled at that, even if she didn't know who Brock was. Ash smiled at us. "Well, my next class starts soon, so I'll talk with you guys later!" That said, he quickly caught up to Gary, who he apparently had the next class with, as well. Truthfully, I felt kind of sorry for him. Ash, I mean. I would never, EVER, feel any sympathy towards the jerk beside him, no matter what happened to him. Okay, so maybe that's not completely true. If something really awful happened, odds are I'd forget my resentment towards him in favor of sympathy, but still, everyone knows what I mean, right?

Watching them go, Dawn leaned closer to me so she could whisper something. "Boys here are really cute! _Much_ cuter than the ones back home!"

I couldn't help but giggle. _I see we'll get along in at least one department… _"Yeah. I totally feel the same way! Too bad some of them are such jerks…" I trailed off, thinking of The Brat, my encounter with Brendan this morning, and the mean purple haired dude I'd first talked to here. I cast her a sly grin. "So… which one of them would you say is cuter?"

Dawn blushed at my question. "Uh… well... I guess I'd have to say…"

I never got to hear the rest of her answer, however, as just then, some blond boy came into view, saw her, and started running towards us and shouting.

"_DAWN! _Hey, Dawn! I finally found you!"

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. "_DAMION? _WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?"

He came to a halt right before us, grinning, and scratched his head. Unbeknownst to him, I was carefully analyzing him, as I do with most boys. He had blond hair that went up on both sides, kinda like devil horns, but not really. It looked weird, yet somehow right. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt with blue jeans and boring brown shoes. The strangest thing about this already-kinda-weird boy was the fact that he was wearing a long green scarf. Even weirder was the fact that, despite how it clashed horribly with his outfit, it still somehow looked good. The boy himself was actually kind of cute, but a little odd for my taste.

"Well, what do ya think? I'm going to school here, too! Isn't it great?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so… But still! I thought you were going to the college in Hearthome!"

He shrugged at that, and I couldn't help but watch the two in amusement. "I kinda changed my mind and decided to go here instead. It's no big deal, really. Shouldn't you be happier that I came here?"

She whacked him lightly on the head before crossing her arms and frowning. "Of course I'm happy you came, idiot. But more than that, I'm mad that you didn't tell me, your _BEST FRIEND _since we were kids, that you were coming! How could you not tell me something like that, huh?"

He cringed while rubbing his sore head. Apparently, Dawn had hit him harder than I'd thought. "Uh… sorry Dawn. I just… forgot, I guess."

She glared at him. "_Sure._"

I giggled at the two, trying to remain out of it. _Talk about a lover's quarrel…_

Damion pouted. "I'm serious!"

Dawn sighed, and began in a knowing tone, "Personally, I blame it on the fact that you're always rushing around. All that running is doing bad things to your brain, obviously. But still, I'm a nice person, so… I'll forgive you. Just don't ever do something like this again!"

He grinned. "Great! Hey, can I see your schedule? I want to see which classes we've got together." She finally cracked a smile at him and handed over the desired object. He glanced over it quickly. "Cool! We've got the next class together! And it starts in" He paused to check his watch. "…Five minutes? Come on Dawn, we gotta hurry or we'll be late!" The strange boy followed up his words by grabbing the girl's arm and trying to quickly drag her in the direction of their next class.

Dawn looked back long enough to shout, "Uh, bye May! I'll see you later!" I waved, and the two were gone the next second. Well, I knew one thing about that Damion boy: He was _fast! _From a distance, I could still hear Dawn shouting. "Damion, slow down! If you don't, I swear, I'm gonna–" The rest faded away as they were now too far away for me to hear it all. I giggled at the two before sighing and heading the other way towards my own second class.

Walking along, I found it hard to believe all _that_ had happened in the span of an hour. I couldn't help but wonder if it was gonna be like that every day. As much as I liked adventure, I kinda hoped not, because that was just a little _too_ hectic for my liking. Even though I'd only had classes for one day – correction: one _hour –_ I could already tell:

_School here is gonna be crazy…

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_

AN- I tried to get both of May's pairings in there, and also had a bit of TwinLeafshipping (or rather, May seeing it, and them not). As always, reviews are appreciated!


	3. The Start of School Part 2

Edited – I edited a lot more of this one. I highly suggest you reread it, okay? I mean, the first two chapters aren't changed much, but this one… the lunch scene plays out much differently.

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Start of School, Part 2**

When I was young, a friend of mine once told me, "You're special, May. You mean a lot to me, and I hope we can meet again someday." The person who told me this was a little boy by the name of Wally. He was my age and lived in Petalburg City up until he turned nine, and was my first friend.

…I'm getting this feeling of déjà vu. I said the same thing about Roxanne, didn't I? But in actuality, I consider this to be true for _both _of them. I met Wally first (we lived in the same city, after all), so he was my first real friend, but I've always been closest to Roxanne. She was my first _best _friend.

But anyway. Wally and I had been friends for four or so years until that fateful day when he gave me that message that tugged at my heartstrings – that day when he left.

And why did he move away?

From the moment he was born, he'd been ill. It wasn't something that could be cured, really. He was just frail by nature from birth. But harmful toxins and pollution in the air made it worse. So, one day his parents decided it would be for the best that they move to the faraway town known as Verdanturf, where the air was clean and fresh.

So, about a week after this decision was made, Wally gathered up all his friends – myself included – and made the out-of-the-blue announcement that he was leaving.

It was on that same day, away from everyone else, that he confessed to me. He'd told me he'd had a crush on me for the longest time, and that it really hurt him to leave me. That he loved me. Sure, we were both still kids, but I could tell – he meant it.

I didn't return his feelings, of course. And I felt bad about that, because my rejection hurt him more. It had been a horrible way to end things. But I was too young, too unsure of my own feelings.

But the very knowledge that he was the first boy to love me – to truly, honest to god love me – meant something to me. I have never forgotten that moment, never taken those feelings for granted.

Over the years, I grew up and became smarter, prettier, and more popular. So many boys asked me out that I lost track, but I turned almost every single one down. I knew in my heart that they didn't truly care for me – not like Wally had.

His confession had made an impact, see. I knew from that moment on that I would never accept the advances of any man unless I could tell that he truly cared for me. And so, even after I officially started dating (at about age fourteen), I've only ever had about seven or so serious boyfriends. It would certainly explain why I'm not actually all that knowledgeable when it comes to relationships – which, in retrospect, makes it humorously ironic that I'm so good at matching up others.

…It would _also _explain why I'm suddenly feeling veeeeeery inferior.

Thanks to Dawn holding me up, I'd arrived at my second class with like less than a minute to spare. Needless to say, there were hardly any open seats – only two, in fact. One right next to the other. Of course, I had to take one of them, and another late comer – this one being a gorgeous female who seemed to think time was at her mercy instead of the other way around – snagged the other.

But, late or no, things would've been fine… if only the teacher had showed up. The moment the bell rang and no one magically appeared, a switch went off, as everyone turned to their neighbor and began chatting away. And my fellow late comer's topic of choice?

…Her _social life_.

So here I am, sitting here listening to her drone on about she's got 'tons of friends,' and has had 'over fifty boyfriends since she turned fifteen'. LIKE I CARE. My question is this – how can Daisy Waterflower _possibly _have so many friends – and, even more irritating, _boyfriends_ – when she clearly lacks personality? Has society slid so low that all it takes to make it in the world is a perfect figure and a couple wads of cash?

Her constant babbling serves no purpose other than to fill time and make me feel little and insignificant. What makes this worse is that I can tell she's genuinely not a bad person, just an airhead, and I _still _feel bad. Not only is Daisy making me feel inferior in social status, but she's also making me feel like I'm the bad one for even trying to dislike her!

"So, like, how many boyfriends have _you _had, May? I'm sure you've had tons, though probably not as many as my sisters and I."

I twitch and resist the urge to strangle her. _I can't tell her I've only had about seven! She seems nice now, but who knows what she'll say to that! _"Uh… I've kinda… lost track of how many boyfriends I've had. Sorry! So, you have sisters then? Are they all as… pretty as you?" _Or as airheaded, or as nerve gratingly sweet, or as… ?_

Daisy sends me a bright smile, flipping her honey-blonde hair back and showing off her pure white teeth."Oh, yeah! Violet and Lilly are just as gorgeous as I am, and have had _almost _as many boyfriends! But Misty… she's not really like us. She's a _tomboy _and doesn't even _care _about dating. Can you believe it?"

I twitch again. _One gorgon is bad enough. Can I handle all three? But hey, at least __**one**__ of them sounds normal…_

I brighten up significantly when the teacher comes waltzing through the door – albeit twenty minutes and a big chunk of my pride sliced off too late.

For lack of a better way to put it, my first thought about him – besides that he clearly has no sense of punctuality – is that he's old. He's got thinning white hair and a big round belly reminiscent of Santa Claus. He brought a cane in with him, but doesn't appear to need it. _Maybe it's for emergencies?_ The cheerful gleam in his eyes and broad smile on his face gives away instantly that he's much more of a "nice grandpa" teacher than a "bitter old man" one.

But… he's still a man.

I mean, isn't this supposed to be my _fashion_ class? Maybe it seems sexist of me, but I definitely assumed a woman would be teaching. Apparently that was too presumptuous, but still… An old man teaching a fashion class just doesn't seem right to me.

Everyone in the class looks at the man with various expressions – most, like me, seem surprised and confused. He chuckles and begins loudly, "Hello, everyone! I'm Mr. Wattson, and I'd just like to say that I am _not_ your fashion teacher! That's right, kiddies, I can tell what kind of thoughts are running through your heads, but no need to worry! Status quo is still everything, after all! Wahaha!"

Most everyone laughs at that, including me. Where we all that obvious? Apparently.

Mr. Wattson laughs heartily, himself, before continuing, "Your real teacher is Miss Winona, but she wasn't feeling up to snuff this morning, so she's running a bit late. But she'll be here soon enough, I assure you! In the meantime, feel free to talk amongst yourselves!"

A cursory glance around the room proved people to be doing just that. Some went back to prior conversations, a few tried to sneak in a quick nap, and some people just sat there staring at nothing, off in their own worlds.

Catching Daisy turning my way, I freeze up. _Crap! I'm not sure I can take another conversation with her! I'm still recovering from the last one!_ My hand shoots up, instantly drawing the attention of not only the teacher, but most everyone in the classroom, as well.

Mr. Wattson gives me a cheerful grin. "Yes, miss?"

"Uh… I was just wondering… if you could…" _If you could get me out of this nuthouse? _"…If you could tell us about Ms. Winona." I finally decide upon, perfectly aware of the numerous glares I'm receiving. I sink low in my seat, feeling ever so much like a brownnoser. Those that _aren't _spitefully scowling in my direction are cackling amongst themselves, _"Teacher's pet! She's a teacher's pet!"_

One such person falling in the latter category happens to be sitting directly in front of me. While he doesn't call me any names, he does turn around and give me a particularly arrogant smirk, green eyes practically _screaming _the same thing to me, anyway. _Why I oughta…_

The old man at the front of the class was oblivious to my plummeting popularity, however. "Why, I'd love to! Winona is quite the looker, if I do say so myself. She's young, much like many of the new teachers – why, it seems as if Goldenrod has been flooded with new youth! About twenty-six, if I recall correctly… She's still single, though how such a beautiful woman could go unattached is a mystery to me…"

The few males who'd stumbled into this class somehow perked up considerably upon hearing of her beauty. A couple not so subtly celebrated. "_Beautiful __**and**__ single? What luck!"_

I roll my eyes and notice that the mood had somehow gone sour – the source of this change being Mr. Wattson, himself. He glowers at the boys. "There's a difference between single and available, young men! It's about time you learned it! Winona is like a daughter to me, and I won't be letting any of you pipsqueaks lay a finger on her!"

How such an old man could emit such hostile – and _scary!_ – waves is beyond me, but it certainly seems to be doing the trick, if the cowering boys up front is any indication.

It's at this point that a woman rushes in. She sweeps her cool gaze over the class, pausing suspiciously on the boys resolutely _not _looking at her as they shake in fear. Finally, she smiles. "Thanks so much for watching them, Wattson. You're a lifesaver."

In response, he smiles – as he _hadn't _just turned into the scariest man alive, and was still simply a nice old man – and slaps a hand on her shoulder. "Not a problem! I didn't have class this hour anyway, and of course I'd want to help you out! Wahaha!"

She smiles. "Well, I can take it from here. You're free to go, Wattson."

He gives a bright smile and heads for the door, pausing only to shoot the troublemakers – or rather, hormonal men – a rather obvious look before disappearing from sight.

The woman in front of us – she has to be the Winona that our temporary substitute was talking about, I rationalize – turns to us with a nervous yet determined look on her face. "This wasn't how I envisioned the first day to go…" I hear her mutter. She shakes her head, hair flying to follow, before starting up, "Okay, I'm Winona, as I'm sure Wattson has told you. I'd prefer if you call me Miss Winona, but I'm also young enough that I understand it might be difficult for some of you to address me in such a professional manner.

"Anyway! I need to get my things settled, so I'll be at my desk. Meanwhile, you can all start introducing yourself." She points to some unlucky soul in the far right corner. "You can start. I'll be listening."

I don't even bother listening to the poor girl stutter out information, and instead focus on my new fashion teacher.

Wattson hadn't been kidding. Winona truly is beautiful. Everything about her screams sophisticated and lovely. I admit to myself instantly that I'm jealous of her hair – not only is it an exotic lavender, but she grew it all the way out past her waist. The one time I tried growing my hair farther than my middle back, the intense work and care put into it made me give up quite soon. Her eyes, too, are exotic – a piercing steely-blue. Currently, her choice of outfit consisted of something simple, yet elegant. A baby blue tee combined with a cream colored skirt that fell to her shoes. It swished when she walked, which helped to lessen the intensity of her clacking heels.

_All in all, a very nice ensemble. It's not overly done, or not done up enough. The colors complement her features, and it clings to her in the right places. She definitely knows what she's doing! She'll be a great fashion teacher!_

The introductions continue on, and I even give my own, all in my own world. The one that snaps me out of it enough to pay attention, though, is that of that of the boy in front of me – you know, the one that acted all smug?

He runs a hand through his light green hair. "Drew. _Just _Drew. It's nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Winona." I gawk rather openly at his back. _What the hell kind of introduction was that? You didn't tell anything about yourself! You didn't even give your __**last name**__!_

Even the teacher seems more than a little stunned. She glances nervously about the room, trying to regain her composure. "Well… that was the last person. Introductions took longer than I thought they would. There's only about ten minutes left; certainly not enough time to start anything else. So, we'll officially begin tomorrow. Make sure you bring anything you might need." She sighs and adjusts her bangs. "You may all talk _quietly_ amongst yourselves."

_Just Drew _noticed me staring at him incredulously and turned my way, a challenging smirk automatically leaping onto his face. "Is something the matter, or do you always gape at people like a fish? It's rather unflattering, you know."

I flinch at his words, eyes narrowing. _Who do you think you are, huh? _"Well _excuse me_ for being a bit startled by your introduction! The point of one is to give your _full name_ and tell people about yourself, by the way. Considering the way you handled it, I'm not sure you knew that." _Hah! How're you gonna take __**that**__ one, you big jerk?_

To my displeasure, his smirk grew bigger. "Really? I didn't hear you saying anything about being easily ticked off, overly irritable, and all-around too sassy for your own good in _your_ introduction."

This was when I started seeing red. Gritting my teeth, I resist the urge to yell and pound him on the head – just _barely_, though. "You – you… _Jerk!_" A much different word was on the tip of my tongue, but I guess I just couldn't bring myself to curse in a classroom. "What did I ever do to you, huh? Why do you already hate me when this is our first meeting? I didn't do anything to you to deserve this!"

He simply raised an eyebrow. "When did I ever say I hated you, May? Something about you just grates on my nerves, is all…"

"Like that's any better! And don't go using my name like we're friends!"

He shrugged and gave me yet another smirk – this one seeming even cockier than the others. I very pointedly turn my head to the side and refuse to listen to anything he might say, fuming silently.

I continued ignoring him right up until the bell rang, upon which I immediately grabbed my things, intending to stalk away. However, I reached the door at the same time as him, and just before we parted ways, he… _What the heck?_

He dropped a rose on top of my books, giving me a mysterious smile before sauntering off. I blinked, shocked, and picked the red flower up gently, being careful to avoid the thorns. Twirling it between my fingers, I bring it up close and take a whiff.

_Why… did he do that? Even if he doesn't hate me, it's too weird that he'd randomly give a flower – and not just any flower, but a rose; that symbolizes __**love!**__ – to me, especially when we were just arguing!_

Out of nowhere, Dawn comes running up. Coming to a halt in front of me, she puts her hands on her knees and pants for just a moment before recovering enough to look up and shoot me a bright smile. "Hello, May! I was wondering, do you have a free period right now?"

I was a bit taken aback by her sudden appearance, but smiled. "Actually, I have _two_ before I have another class. Why?"

She seemed elated at my words. "That's great! Do you want to eat lunch with me?"

I blinked. "Uh… now? But it's only like 10:30 in the morning!"

She was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Well, yeah, but to tell the truth, I didn't manage to have breakfast this morning, what with rushing here and all that. So I'm kind of starving. Plus, I was hoping I'd get to know you…" she trailed off to send me a hopeful look – and in the process immediately spotted the rose I'd been trying to hide. "Whoa! May, is that a _rose?_ Don't tell me you already have an admirer here?"

I blanched. _Wha? No way! Drew? I don't know __**why **__he gave me this, but that __**certainly**__ can't be it! _

I shake my head furiously. "That's not possible! The guy who gave me this _clearly _isn't interested. He's probably just trying to tease me!"

She gives me a knowing look before starting in, "You know, the boys who tease you –"

"—are the ones who like you, yeah, yeah. I've heard it before. But I'm telling you, it's not true!"

She gives me a doubtful look and nibbles on her thumbnail. "If you say so. At least you're lucky enough to _get _roses from guys. And so early on, too…"

I throw my free hand up in exasperation and then thrust the rose in her face. "If you want a rose so badly, then just take this one! I don't want it, anyway!"

Dawn searches my face for anything to indicate I'm lying before tentatively taking the rose from my outstretched hand. "I can really have this? Thank you…" Like me, she feels the need to sniff it at the first opportunity. She gives me a quick smile, but then sighs. "It's still not the same as getting it from a boy, though…"

I roll my eyes and begin heading down the hallway – there's only two directions a hallway can take, so I've got a fifty percent chance of being right, after all! "Whatever. Let's just go get something to eat."

"Um…where are you going?"

I halt and curse myself. Even with a fifty-fifty chance, I'd failed! "…To the cafeteria…?"

She's giving me a strange look, as if I'd just done something totally weird – I guess in a way I did. She clears her throat before pointing behind herself. "The cafeteria's… this way."

I fight back a mortified blush and fall into step with her, sighing loudly. She gives me a small smile. "Are you not very good at directions?"

"…Not really. You won't… tell anyone, will you?"

"If you don't want me to. Who would I tell, anyway? The only ones I really know here are you and Damion. But if you want more assurance, we can make it a deal." Here, her eyes take on a bright, suspicious gleam. "I won't tell anyone you have no sense of direction, if… I'm allowed to tell anyone who asks that I got this rose from a boy!"

I roll my eyes. _Why is it so important to her? Regardless, it's fine by me. _"Sure!"

She gave me a bright smile, twirling the rose between her fingers.

Reaching the cafeteria a few minutes later, I was stunned to see it _packed_. I mean, it's not even eleven yet! _And it seems, like us, there are still people trickling in…_

Sighing, I resign myself to having to wait for the later lunch session in order to snag seats for us now. "Um… you know what, I'm not very hungry. I'll wait until the 2:30 lunch." _Sob! Be grateful, Dawn! I don't starve myself for just anyone!_ "I'll just grab us some seats, if you'll get me something to snack on."

She shot me another bright smile, nodding an affirmative, before joining the crowd of people by the counter. That left _me_ to sigh once more, blowing a strand of hair out of my face angrily, before locating the nearest table with space and _waiting_.

Dawn came back roughly ten minutes later with two slices of _sizzling _cheese pizza, a _juicy _looking red apple, and five – _five!_ – _mouth-wateringly enticing _chocolate cream-filled donuts. "Sorry it took so long; there was a line."

I was so busy trying staring at the donuts longingly that it took me a moment to register what she'd said. "It's okay."

She put two of those _utterly delectable _looking donuts in front of me. "Here. They're not healthy at all, but they sure look good. I got plenty for the both of us."

I gave her a swift thanks before grabbing one and immediately devouring it. And then I died and went to heaven. _It's so delicious… Is it even possible for one piece of food to taste this good?_ Finishing the first, I move on to the second – _and last! Ugh!_

As I made quick work of the second donut, Dawn was just finishing off her first slice of pizza. Even though I'd just had two fairly large donuts, I could feel my stomach starting to rumble. Being a big eater sucks._ Between all the food still on her plate, surely it'd be okay to just grab one more…_ _No! It's her food, I can't have any more! I've gotta get my mind onto a different topic!_

"So, uh… you never answered my question earlier. Between Ash and… _Gary_," I just _barely _managed to refrain from calling him, 'The Brat'. "…Which one do you think is cuter?"

She thought it over for a second, absentmindedly nibbling on her apple. "Which one is _cuter_? Well, look-wise, the brunette guy, Gary, is definitely _much _easier on the eyes. But, he's also kind of… _cold_, you know? Not the kind of guy I'd want to date. Ash, on the other hand, is the opposite. Warm and friendly. The 'boy next door' type. What do you think?"

I giggled. "I'm in the same boat you are. I mean, I don't know Ash very well yet, but I like what I've seen so far. It's pretty rare to find a guy that's nice _and _cute these days. From the little I know of them, I'd definitely choose him over Gary. I mean, the alternative is so dispassionate and distant. That's kind of a turnoff to me."

Dawn smiled before leaning on the table, putting down her partially finished apple in favor of grabbing one of the donuts. "And what about your not-so-secret admirer? Is he cute? What's he like?"

I snorted derisively. "I've already told you there's no way he likes me. And I'd like to keep it that way, too, since he's a jerk. His name is Drew. _Just _Drew, apparently. He's arrogant and thinks he's better than me – probably everyone else, too. He's got green eyes, and a different shade of green hair. _Green! _Obviously, he dyed it, and it's so tacky to dye your hair some outlandish color like blue, green, or pink. Trust me, Dawn. You don't want anything to do with…" I trailed off, seeing the hurt look she was sending me.

She was clutching her _blue _hair in shock. "…You think my hair is _tacky_?"

I cringed. _Oh, crap! So __**not **__what I meant when I said that! _"I wasn't talking about _you_, Dawn! I mean, it's okay to use such colors sometimes, depending on the shade and style. You've made blue hair look good!"

She sulked for a minute before letting the offended act fall. "I _guess _I can forgive you this _one _time, May. My hair is natural, anyway." She fluffed said hair for a moment. "Besides, you're clearly accentuating only the negative about this guy. Maybe he's got a _slightly _big ego, but you probably did something to set him off on you. Besides, he gave you a rose, meaning he's a romantic! My kind of guy."

I roll my eyes and dismiss her latter statements in favor of the former ones. "Did you say your hair is _natural_, Dawn? I mean, not to be rude, but you've gotta be lying. Blue hair is _not _natural, and it never will be."

She sighed. "Yes, it is. At least, it is for the females of the Berlitz family. My mom's got blue hair, too. I guess it's just like we've got special genes, or something."

I blinked. "Are you serious?"

She shot me a pointed look, picking her apple back up. "No, I'm intentionally lying. Yes, I'm serious!"

I stuck my tongue out at her playfully. "Well, then. Congratulations, Dawn, you're the first natural _bluenette _I've ever met!" We giggled at my nonsensical word blurb. "But just because your hair has won my respect doesn't mean your taste in guys has. I mean, seriously. _Drew?_"

She waves a hand, as if dismissing my comment, taking a moment to finish off her apple. "Oh, whatever. Regardless of what you think, I think he sounds great. A guy who gives roses to the girl he likes. I'll bet he's chivalrous, too!" She took a moment to hug the rose to her chest, clearly fantasizing. _Uh, Dawn? You __**do **__remember that he gave that rose to __**me**__, right?_ Out of my peripheral vision, I glanced a blonde head of hair approaching swiftly. _Isn't that…?_

Dawn continued on, oblivious. "…It's always been my dream to have a man give me a rose…"

"…_What_?"

She shrieked in surprise at the unexpected interruption, whirling angrily upon the one responsible. "Damion! What have I told you about sneaking up on me?"

He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. "Sorry, Dawn. I forgot…"

"S'okay…" She blushed lightly. "…Um, how much of our conversation did you hear…?"

"Just your last sentence. You know, about how you want someone to give you – _roses!_" His breath hitched in shock as he saw the object clutched in her fingers. "Who gave you a rose?"

As a bystander, I caught the urgent tone. The brief flicker of hurt across his face. Dawn didn't. "Hey! Damion! Don't say it like that! Like it's so impossible that a guy might like me…"

He hastened to correct his mistake, giving a forced smile. "No! It's not that!" _Just the opposite, in fact. Right? _"I'm just surprised. I mean, it's only the first day, and you've already gotten a rose! Who… who gave it to you?"

His voice was carefully neutral. _Too _neutral. This, Dawn noticed. "Well… I'd like to say a mystery man gave it to me on the way here, but… that's a lie. Truthfully, this _did _happen, but to May, not to me. She gave it to me, because she didn't want it."

I sighed in relief, and his smile became a little bit brighter, a little more genuine. _Whew! I was so sure she'd make up some elaborate lie. I think she would have, too, if not for the fact that she clearly realized he'd react in a bad way. It's good that she told him the truth._

Damion sat down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Aw, don't worry. You'll get a rose from a real guy someday!"

She rolled her eyes and shoved him away, smiling. "Well, May told me about the guy, Drew. I maintain that he sounds perfect for me. I've just gotta meet him, is all, and then roses _will _be coming my way!"

With that, she stood up – in doing so, she missed Damion's smile going tight – and mussed his hair. "Well, I've got class soon! See you two later!"

_But she's still got two donuts and a slice of pizza left… _"Wait, Dawn!"

She turned back. "Yeah?"

I _could _have not said a word and stolen the remains of her food, since she clearly didn't want it, but that didn't sit right with me. So, I sighed in consternation and pointed to the meal. "You forgot this."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm being nice and leaving them for you, silly. I'm not _blind_, you know. You've been eyeing my food the whole time!" That said, she left.

I could've kissed her. My hungry tummy rumbled in anticipation. I went for one of the donuts first, chowing down. As my taste buds soared in happiness, I reached for the second only to realize I wasn't alone.

Across the table, Damion was repeatedly banging his head against the table.

"…Hey. You okay?"

He'd clearly been elsewhere in mind, because at the sound of my voice his eyes widened as he was brought back to reality and his head hit the table a lot harder than he'd intended. He let out a yelp of pain, bringing a hand to his forehead. _Ooh, ouch. That's gonna leave a nasty bruise._

He scowled unhappily my way. "Oh, sure. I just probably gave myself a concussion, is all."

I crossed my arms and sent him a glare of my own. "Hey now. No need to be sarcastic and bitter. And that's not what I meant."

Sighing, he picked himself up off of the table, but he still slumped noticeably. "Yeah, I figured, considering you asked me that _before _I hurt myself. Unless you're a psychic, in which case I'd have to fine you for not warning me."

I laughed at that, causing him to frown – "I'm not joking!" – and cross his arms huffily… before smiling alongside me.

Once my laughter at his ridiculous statement died down, I sighed and pushed the remaining donut his way, taking the pizza for myself. At his quizzical look, I explained, "I figured you'd need comfort food."

His gaze hardened as he reached for said comfort food. "…Oh? And why would I need that?"

_Playing the denial game, huh? Gonna make me do this the hard way? _"Because you're obviously upset that Dawn already likes someone here – or at least, her _idea_ of someone."

He cringed at how confident I was in my declaration. "Sorry, May, but you're wrong. I'm happy for her. She's my friend, that's all."

I smiled victoriously. "I never said you liked her as anything more."

He – briefly – blushed at having been caught, but scowled, going defensive. "You implied it!"

I sigh and resist the urge to rest my head in my hands. Everything that's happened today is giving me a major migraine – and the day's only half over! "Look, Damion, stop being difficult. I know you like her; I'm fine with it. Heck, I'd help you, if I could, but I've already got a charge when it comes to matchmaking!"

He pointedly doesn't look me in the eye. "Oh? And who is it?"

I open my mouth to insist that it's futile to try and change the subject, but I'm interrupted.

"That'd be me."

Let me just say that having a super deep voice say something, _anything,_ right behind you when you don't know it's there is scary as hell. Whirling around in terror, my fear turns to annoyance and then relief upon seeing Brock and Ash standing there. "_Whoa!_ Guys, don't _scare_ me like that!"

Ash smiled, both sheepish that he'd done something I didn't like and amused at my reaction. "Sorry, May."

"S'okay… So! What brings you both over here, huh?"

Brock grinned. "I came to get your wisdom and advice on girls, obviously. See anyone out there for me?"

Ash sighed obviously, shaking his head at his friend. "I came with him, because I want to see this."

I rolled my eyes at their antics, turning to introduce them to the other person at the table – only to discover him gone. Sometime during the minute or so I hadn't been paying attention to him, Damion had snuck off. _Dammit! All I wanted was to __**help**__ you, you idiot! If you hadn't disappeared I could've given you advice!_

I shake off my irritation – no sense getting mad at the boys, after all – and turned to Brock, since he seemed to be the reason both were here. "Give me a minute and I'll see if anyone in this crowd looks right for you."

I sighed before scanning the thinning crowd. A redhead with a side ponytail sitting by herself. _Cute in her own way, but I don't think he's into tomboys._ A blonde with hair down to her knees decked out in – a coat? A dress? I can't tell from here – black. _She looks a bit… eccentric. He's wacky enough on his own, best not to make him more so. _Daisy Waterflower. _God no. She'd chew him up and spit him out, all with a smile on her face._

My eyes stopped as I caught sight of a forest-green-haired girl eating a veggie burger. She was wearing a simple green dress and her hair was in a braid. She seemed to be a nice, pleasant type of woman. I smiled and tapped Brock on the shoulder. "Hey. See that green haired girl over there? Why don't you go talk to her?"

He took one look at the girl, and his jaw dropped. "OH, _YEAH_!"

I realized his intent just in time and grabbed him before he could rush over there and ruin his chances with another girl. "Oi! What have I told you about rushing over to girls? Or about being so intense? I _know _you were about to do _both _of those things, Brock! You can't do either, because it scares them away! I told you to be yourself, but to refrain from being so intense!"

He looked my way and nodded. "Right. I won't scare her away. Not if I can help it. All I need to do is go over there and talk to her. I can do that!" I smiled encouragingly and released him, and he walked briskly but confidently towards the girl with green hair, taking a seat next to her.

Ash sighed. "He said 'Not if he can help it', and 'he can do that'. He's doomed. Again. The only girls he's _ever _been able to have a normal conversation with is Misty and, I guess, you."

I smiled as I saw the girl give him a small smile while replying to something he'd said. "Don't be so sure, Ash. There's a reason I'm such a good matchmaker, you know. I haven't messed up yet!"

He grinned knowingly at me. "Well, just be prepared to be disappointed. Brock's one of my closest friends, so I know what I'm talking about when I say he gets rejected _a lot_."

I sighed. "Well, I guess you'll just have to tell me how it goes, then, 'cause I'm going to my room to spend some time relaxing before I go back to class." I walked past him but turned back to smile and wave, throwing in a wink just for kicks. "Later, Ash!"

He blushed lightly before waving back. I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

A few minutes later found me right by the elevator. With all the strain from my first two classes plus lunch, I definitely deserved some R&R. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples with my fingers, going in soothing circles.

Then the elevator dinged open and I stepped in – or, I would have, if a person hadn't been stepping out at exactly the same time. Luckily, whoever it was caught me before I fell backwards.

"Sorry! Are you…" Opening my eyes at the sound of that familiar voice, I saw, of all people, Brendan Birch staring back at me, ruby eyes wide with shock. "…okay?"

Of all the people this could've happened to, it had to be me. _Honestly. _I mean, not only did I run into a person, but it's a _teacher_, and it's _the _teacher I'm already off to a bad start with! _It's official: My luck is the worst._

I force down the embarrassed blush that had automatically appeared on my face and nod. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Thanks – for catching me. It would've sucked to fall on my ass." Then, I blush again as I realize I just said something stupid – and tad inappropriate – in front of my teacher, and decide that I should probably shut up.

He chuckles and shakes his head in amusement, letting go of my arms. "No problem. What are you, though, a total klutz? I mean, this is the _second _time you've ran into me, and we've only met three times. That's a pretty bad track record."

I roll my eyes, blowing on a strand of hair – partially to make him think I'm annoyed, but mainly to make sure I don't smile at his quips. Averting my eyes, I sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to run into you. I'm also sorry about last time. It's just that my mind has been elsewhere, is all."

He nods knowingly. "Ah, so you're not a klutz at all, then, but a space case. I should've known."

Again, I resist the urge to smile and be witty, to see if I can make him laugh. _Worse. I'm both._ Instead, I huff and cross my arms. "I'm kinda trying to apologize here."

He does laugh at that. It's… a good laugh. Friendly, husky… kind of se – _No! Bad train of thought!_ He gives me an amused smile, and against my will I smile along with him. "Apology accepted. I'll see you tomorrow, May."

"Yeah." That said, I push the elevator button – since he made me miss the one he came out of. I can feel his eyes boring into me. When, seconds later, the elevator does ding open, I put a hand on the door to keep it here and turn back to him. "Hey." _Why are you still here, watching me? _"Why were you so mean to me this morning?"

He shrugged, smiling. "I don't know. I guess I just get some sick pleasure from tormenting you."

I rolled my eyes, knowing he was just joking – which is a bit scary, actually. How _do _I know he's kidding? "Whatever. Jerk." _Jeez… even if jokingly, everyone's picking on me today!_

"Plus, you're kinda cute when you're angry." His words made me stop in my tracks. I whirled around to see him walking away, a hand in the air. "Later."

My jaw dropped open, and, had Drew been there to see it, he probably would've compared me to a fish again. "Wha-wait-what are you-huh-what…" In my head, I could hear their voices. _Very articulate, May. _I throw my hands up in exasperation. "Oh, never mind! Ugh!"

And then the elevator dinged shut behind me. I could hear Brendan's laughter at my angry shrieks from all the way down the hall.

* * *

_Nothing_ happened during my science class, amazingly enough. At least, nothing extremely important.

The Brat was there, and I even sat in a seat relatively close to him, but we never actually talked, so it doesn't really matter. The redhead from lunch, on the other hand, spent quite a while talking to him – or rather, _arguing _with him. She didn't like him _at all_.

I think the most exciting thing about that class is the fact that Mr. Wattson, the guy I met in my second class, is the one teaching it. He smiled at me when I came in. Still, I made it all the way through that class without something completely _whacked_ happening, which, in itself, is a miracle.

* * *

I smiled as I left the classroom. _With the chaos my first two classes and break periods brought, I'm glad to have had a mildly normal class. Now if only my next class can go the same way… _

_Tch! Yeah, right, like __**that**__**'ll**__ happen._ Now, unlike my other classes, my last class of the day is changed depending on the day. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have Art. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have a special Geography class. I'm hoping it will help me with my map reading troubles, and also prepare me for traveling a lot. Today, however, is Art.

Stepping into my last class of the day, I saw a young man, probably about five or so years older than me, writing on the chalkboard. He was obviously the teacher, but that wasn't what caught my attention about him. He was… _exotic, _to say the least.

He had _aqua_ colored hair that spiked down at the bangs, and two thick scraggly pieces came out, one on each side, at around his chin. If you ask me, they looked like praying mantis arms. A beret covered most of his hair, though. He was wearing an unusually long aqua – I'm beginning to think he's obsessed with the color – shirt that had little diamonds printed on it, all varying shades of lavender, blue, and white. He had on white pants – the only _normal _thing about his outfit – and…aqua colored shoes. Where he found _those, _I will most likely _never _know. Still, odd taste in clothing aside, he was sort of cute, in an exotic, foreign flair kind of way.

Glancing around, I recognized a few faces from previous classes, along with quite a few new ones, and… one _very familiar _one.

With purple hair and a scowl permanently plastered on his face, I'd almost forgotten about him. _Him _being the very first person I attempted to talk to upon arrival one week ago. His mere presence indicates that clearly Fate hates me.

To make matters worse, the only open seats are those around him – it seems I'm not the only one who'd rather avoid him. Unfortunately, I'm forced to take a seat next to him. His disdainful glare states clearly that he'd rather I not be here, and that he's not in the mood to make friends. As if talking to me is _beneath_ him. A correction to one of my earlier statements: Fate really, _really _hates me.

Luckily, the bell rang, saving me from having to interact with him. _It's a bit sad that I've already been "saved by the bell" so many times, considering it's still the first day!_

Our teacher turned to us as the bell finished – I noted that his eyes were _also _aqua colored. "Welcome, to my art class! Art, it is the beauty that we can create! I am Wallace, and all of you are…?" I raised an eyebrow at his odd manner of speaking while a couple giggling girls got up to introduce themselves.

Wallace smiled and held out a hand, signaling them to halt. "No! I can learn all your names my own way! I shall use… this here name sheet! Now, when I call out your name, all I require is for you to respond in some way."

I couldn't help but giggle. _This guy may be weird, but I think I like him. He's a pretty cool teacher. Now if only I weren't sitting next to jerk face here._

"Miss… May?"

I smiled and raised a hand. "That's me. I'm over here, sir."

He smiled at me – "Please, call me Wallace." – before going on to the next person. "Mister… Paul?"

The boy beside me grunted. "Hey." I glared at him. I mean, it's one thing to be rude to those around you, but to treat your teachers with the same level of respect as your peers…

Minutes later, as the last of the introductions came to a close, Wallace began passing around notebooks. He smiled. "I know what you are thinking. No, these are not notebooks! They are sketchbooks! In notebooks you write. But in sketchbooks… you draw!" he cried with a flourish.

Pretty much everyone giggled and laughed at that, myself included. But not Paul, of course.

"You will have these sketchbooks with you at all times, yes? And you shall draw whenever the inclination seizes you! They are for your and my eyes only, so be as detailed – or _not_ detailed – as you wish. It is, however, a requirement that you draw in them once every day. It should be easy, yes? But for now – I shall assign you all a partner! You and your partner will face each other and _draw_ – each other, that is! This _is _an assignment, so take your time, do your best!"

Wow. Wallace is an _awesome _teacher. I love him!

* * *

…Wallace just assigned me and Paul as partners. I hate him.

Glaring daggers at both the teacher who thought to pair me with someone who would make me miserable and said someone, I huffed angrily and chewed on a strand of hair for a minute before blowing it out of the way. Paul scowled back just as ferociously.

I snapped, "Hey, you think I like this any more than you? Huh, do you? Well, I _don't_! But at least _I'm _willing to be civil about it!"

His scowl grew. "…Whatever."

We went to work, alternating looking up at each other and down at our papers. Every time we accidentally looked up at the same time and locked eyes, I'd attempt to smile in hopes that he'd lighten up. I may not like the guy, but I still don't enjoy being around someone in a sour mood.

I finished after about thirty minutes. I may have been a bit mean in that his eyes looked pretty cruel, and his scowl was just evil and terrifying, but… I thought it seemed fairly accurate.

The private sketch was much easier. I drew a crude little picture of him with devil horns and tail, plus that weapon – whatever it is – that devils carry around. There. Done. And I had twenty minutes to spare, too.

But then I happened to catch a glimpse of the first sketch of me. He was still working on it, but is was… beautiful. My eyes showed so many different possible emotions swirling in their depths, and my hair fell softly on my shoulders. Picture me frowned cutely in concentration as she stared down at her own paper. It was amazing. It was a bit embellished in that it showed me with grace and pure beauty that I knew I lacked, but still so… _raw_, and just… awe-striking.

I shot him a smile – he didn't see it, but I still had to be grateful for such a beautiful portrayal of myself – and quickly scratched out devil-him.

This time, I drew… Paul. Just Paul, arms crossed, eyes glaring, a scowl on his face. And yet, somehow, the picture just seemed _right_. Because really, I couldn't think of him any other way.

* * *

After class, I headed straight for my room. Nothing interesting happened, unless you count Ms. Winona going to see Wallace right after class let out. I took the elevator and, thankfully, didn't run into anyone. I made it safely back to my room, where I found Dawn on the sofa, eating popcorn and watching a movie.

"Hey."

Dawn smiled. "Hey. Did you know that you're the last one to get out of class? Whitney, Mary and I spent the last half-hour getting to know each other."

Glancing around, I realize that the aforementioned girls are nowhere to be seen. "Oh. Where _are _they, anyway?"

She sends an… _odd _look at their closed door. "…They said they were tired and taking a nap."

I blink. _They're probably playing with Skitty. Now that Dawn's here, they'll have to go back to hiding the poor thing. Hopefully they'll just tell her the truth before too long…_

"Ah, they'll probably be out later, considering it's only like six now." That said, I joined her on the couch. "So, whatcha watching?"

* * *

Dawn and I ended up spending the next four hours by ourselves watching movies. Strangely enough, our roommates never did come out. Either way, we ended up going to bed at ten.

…Yeah. We're real party girls, huh?

Regardless of that, a lot had happened today.

I had a roommate now – one that, thankfully, I think I'm going to get along with swimmingly. _Thank god she and I like each other. I can't imagine the horror of not getting along with your roommate._

I made a few new friends – not just Dawn, but also Ash, Brock, Damion… _Oh, yeah, I've still got to get a confession out of him!_

I got knocked down a few rungs on the social ladder by Daisy – and she hadn't even been trying to hurt me! _What am I gonna do about her? Being around her __**kills**__ my confidence, but as long as she's genuinely clueless I can't just ignore her!_

I met an interesting, irritating boy – and he gave me a rose! _I still maintain that he doesn't like me. He's gotta be messing with me… right?_

I found that even the cruelest of people can have hidden depths – or at least hidden skills. _I still don't know about Paul's attitude, but anyone with art that enchanting can't be all that bad, right?_

I both fought and made up with one of my teachers – plus, he flirted with me! _What the heck was that about? Was he just teasing, or…?_

With all these thoughts swimming in my head that night, the one that stood out the most was this:

_At a school __**this**__ crazy, __**anything**__ could happen next!

* * *

_

AN- So yeah. This is way different than the original, from about halfway through. I didn't like the interactions before. So, I made people's personalities a tad different to make it flow better. The biggest difference is, of course, the lunch scene, where the original had Dawn not noticing Damion's blatantly obvious feelings and giving this dramatic lie about how a mystery man gave her a rose and then leaving not soon after; then Damion whined and asked for May's help. This time around, she notices his subtler feelings and tells the truth, and he refuses to admit his feelings to May or ask for help. Pretty different. The following encounter May has with Brendan is also fairly different, too. Mostly in that they're more flirty.


	4. School gets Interesting for Dawn

AN- Hi, I would like to apologize for the long wait for this chapter. This is a **Dawn-centric chapter. **It took me a while because, about a third of the way through, my mind went blank, and I got a writer's block of doom disease. I hope you can forgive me. Oh, and I've got a little **bold** **message in the bottom AN. Please read it after the chapter**. Now, I got about three different Drew last names, but I finally decided on the one people agreed on. Thanks to LuciferIX, ShadowKing1988, and everyone else for telling me Drew's last name. A message to an anonymous reviewer…

To Advanceshippingrox, I'm glad you like my story. I'm not quite sure how you got a Zoey 101 vibe, though. Care to tell me?

Disclaimer: I own nothing outside the plot. So basically, characters and places (except the Goldenrod University and all places in it) don't really belong to me.

* * *

**School gets Interesting for Dawn…**

'No need to worry!'

Ever since I was a little girl, even before I met Damion, -which was how long ago, again? God, I can't even remember…- 'No need to worry' had always been my motto when things went bad. I said it all the time, really.

It's a pretty self-explanatory saying, but I'll tell you what it means, anyway. To me, 'No need to worry' is my way of telling people to relax when things start getting bad. After all, the 'calm after the storm' is bound to come.

…What…? Oh… okay, so the saying is 'calm _before _the storm', big deal. I was one word off. Besides, I'm _sure _there's calm _after _the storm, too. But I'm getting off topic…

Anyway, as I was saying, I used to say 'no need to worry' a _lot_. Notice that I said 'used to'. See, while it's still my inner motto, I kinda feel it's too childish for me to go around saying at college, so I'm trying to stop saying it altogether. I've caught myself about to say those words so many times now, I've lost track! But I _promised _myself I wouldn't say it, and I intend to stick to it. But… that doesn't mean I can't think it… right? And why do I ask this?

…Because right now, I'm inwardly chanting it like a mantra in my head. _It's okay, really, it is. No need to worry, __**definitely**__ no need to worry. After all, I can fix this… I hope. _And what is this disaster that's causing me to act like this?

"…My_ HAIR!_" …_Major_ bed head.

From the top bunk, I could hear May stirring. "Wha's wrong?" she slurred.

I turned around to flash her a smile from where I'd been sitting at _her _vanity. "Oh, nothing, just a hair crisis."

She nodded sleepily before glancing over at the clock. "…At six in the morning?"

I cracked a smile. May was still half-asleep, obviously. The first couple of days, she'd forced herself to wake up early so she could doll herself up for class, but it's been two weeks since school started now, and she's mellowing out. Since then, I've figured out that she's actually not an early riser in the slightest.

"It's been two weeks since school started, May. Either you're even more out of it than you seem, or you've just somehow missed the fact that I _am _an early riser." She attempted a glare at me through sleep-filled, half-closed eyes. "I'm just using your vanity to see myself better. You don't mind, do you?" She shrugged and I turned back toward the mirror to start working on the catastrophe that was my hair.

I could hear the mattress shifting as she tried to get comfy again. "As long as it 'volves me getting more sleep, I couldn't care less." she slurred again, drifting back off.

I smiled as I attempted to brush out the numerous rats in my hair, glancing at the roses -most of which were, unfortunately, starting to die- I'd sat on the desk that I'd brought with me to college. All of them had been given to me by May, claiming she didn't want them, who'd gotten them all from Drew. There were probably about eight roses so far, indicating that he gave one of them to her practically every school day. I pouted. _I wish __**I**__ could get roses from a boy, instead of just from a girl who got them from a boy and doesn't want them… _I smiled. _Still… _

I have a little _secret _that no one except Damion knows. See, I know Drew, too. It turns out that I have two classes with him, my third and fourth. My third class is Art, which I have only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, just like May. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I take an advanced Animal Science class -one of the things I'd thought of being when I grew up was a breeder of some type of animal. Maybe rabbits; they're just so cute!

I actually have that class with May's, uh, _charge, _Brock Harrison. He's… weird. Nice, I suppose, but a little girl-obsessed. He does seem to be very focused on getting good grades, though. But I've just gotten off topic _again!_

So, as I was saying before my mind drifted off into Weirdville, I have two classes with Drew. In art, it's just me, him, and a bunch of other people I don't know very well. Well, there is this funny redheaded girl named Misty; she's pretty hot tempered, but cool. Still, I don't know her all that well, so it doesn't matter. I was lucky enough to be partnered with Drew, so I get to chat with him quite a bit. May was _so _wrong about him, like I expected.

See, when I first saw him in class, right after talking to May about him, I _knew _that he just had to be Drew. And so, I'd immediately went over and sat down beside him, making sure to give him my prettiest smile while introducing myself. He'd smiled back and told me his _full _name: Drew _LaRousse_. Heh. See? He didn't tell _May_ his full name, but he told _me_! Of course, he still didn't give _me _any roses, while he continues to pull them out of nowhere and give them to _her_. But still… the fact that he told me his full name has to mean something, right? Oh, forget it, I'm just a hopeless romantic. But anyway…

May's description of Drew, both his looks _and _personality, didn't do him justice _at all_. He is a lot better looking than she'd said for instance. Sure, his hair was a light grass-green, like she'd said, but she _hadn't _mentioned how it looked so _soft_. Just looking made you want to touch it. He had mildly fair skin, but it had just the slightest hint of tan to it. And his eyes… well, they're hard to describe. They're green, about the same color as his hair, but definitely _not_ the exact same. They're either a bit lighter, or a bit darker, I can never tell. Either way, they look _amazing_. Drew is… pretty. Not in the usual way the term is used, don't get me wrong. He's not like that… I hope. He's pretty because he has this unnatural elegance for a guy, and yet he still retains his hotness. He's actually really nice, too. So… yeah, I am kinda crushing on him, so what? Now…

My last class is calculus, which I have with Drew, Damion, and that other guy May occasionally hangs out with, Ash. I don't sit anywhere near Drew in this class, so I don't have much to say about him. I sit around the middle, like in my first class, with Damion to my left. Ash sits relatively close, and I occasionally chat with him. He's pretty cute, and really nice and funny. I _may _have a small crush on him, too. But I really should get back to my hair; all this thinking about boys made me stop brushing.

_KNOCK, KNOCK. _I glance up at the clock. It reads 6:28.Who could be at the door at this time? I get up to answer, knowing I'm the only one even up. Okay, that's a bit of a lie, I know Mary's awake, but she won't leave the room until Whitney wakes up, too. I smile faintly.

I wonder how long it'll be till May realizes about them. I mean, she's not naïve; hell, she's probably a lot smarter in most non-school related areas than I am. It's not that she's too naïve to notice, she's choosing to be ignorant, I think. At least the two have offered up a mildly good explanation as to why they have a door. I found out about a week ago that Mary and Whitney snuck in a kitten named Skitty and are keeping it held up in their room. They've convinced May that that's why they have a door, even though it's actually only a small part of it. But hey, May can choose to ignore their relationship if she wants, it's not my business.

Me, I figured it out from the start, but that's because I'm pretty open about things like that. As long as I don't see the two of them in action, I'm fine with it, really. But anyway…

Opening the door, I was shocked to see… "Damion?!"

He grinned and gave me a half-wave. "Hiya, Dawn!" _What… the… hell?!_

I gaped for a moment before whirling behind the open door, realizing that not only was I in my pajamas, but my hair _still _looked like crap because I'd never finished brushing it. Damion walked in and stared at me from around the other side of the door. "Uh, Dawn? Something wrong?"

"Yes! I'm in my pajamas and my hair looks horrible! Damion, GET OUT!"

He grinned. "Oh, is that all? Don't worry so much. Your hair looks way better than that time you got that really bad haircut when you were thirteen. Remember that?" Of course I did. It was one of the mortifying moments that would scar me forever as one of the worst memories _EVER_. "And I've seen you in pajamas before, too. Remember that camping trip we took when we were fifteen? Besides, I think your pajamas are cute…" I flinched, blushing furiously. Of all the embarrassing moments in my past he could've brought up, he chose _that _one?! That memory needed to _die_. Seriously, if I could, I would take a knife and stab it over and over again if I thought it would make the memory disappear. And… he thought my PJs were cute?! …Oh god, I was never gonna live this down.

"Just… why are you here, anyway?!"

"Oh, that's easy! I'm here ta walk you to your first class!"

I stared. Now, Damion had been acting… weird… for a while now, -ever since we started school here, actually- but _this _was just whacked. I was beginning to wonder about my best friend since _ever_'s mental health.

"Damion, we don't have the first class together, and it's _6:30 IN THE MORNING_! CLASS DOESN'T EVEN _START_ UNTIL NINE, YOU DOOF!"

My _idiot _of a best friend didn't even seem phased by my outburst. Instead, he scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Oops… my bad, Dawn. I guess I did come a bit early. I'll just hang around here until you're ready to go, then."

I was about to respond with a very forceful 'Oh no you don't!', but stopped when I heard a groan. Looking towards my room, I saw May sluggishly walking out, cranky and obviously still sleepy. "Ooh, _what now_?! I thought you were gonna keep it quiet, Dawn!" She stopped, noticing Damion. "Uh… is there any reason you're here?"

"I'm escorting Dawn to her first class!"

May stared incredulously. "Um, congrats on that, but… was it necessary to come this early?"

At least the doof had the decency to look embarrassed. "Uh, yeah… I kinda sorta… came a bit early."

May rolled her eyes. "Ya think? Still…" She glanced between the two of us, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "…It was really sweet of him to be willing to do such a thing… don't you think, Dawn?" Had I bothered to actually listen to what she'd said, I probably would've blushed, but I wasn't actually hearing what she was saying. I was too busy gaping at her choice of pajamas.

It was a rather… _skimpy_ ensemble, if you ask me. She was wearing a baby blue spaghetti strap top that had a bit of a V-neck, showing just a little peek of her overly large chest. Okay, so it's really only overly large when compared to my own, but still… It looked like the kind of top that showed just enough to make a guy want to see more, but was forced to imagine the rest. Her slightly darker shorts were… well, _short_. They fell a few inches above her knees, showing off her long legs. Plus, her outfit made mine seem so… childish.

I wore a plain white T-shirt with pink sweatpants that had a blue stripe on each side. I also had bunny slippers. Compared to her outfit, my own must make me seem like twelve, or something.

"Uh, May? Can I… talk to you for a minute?" I glanced at Damion. "Privately?"

He caught on immediately and grinned. "I'll just be watching TV in here, okay?" I cringed. That _wasn't _what I'd meant, exactly, but it seemed that I wasn't gonna be able to get rid of him this morning.

As we walked into our little room to get a little more privacy, May frowned curiously at me. "What's up?"

_She's gonna be really upset… _"Do you… have to wear such a… skimpy outfit?"

She looked shocked and slightly offended. I didn't blame her one bit. "What?! My PJs aren't _skimpy_! I'm wearing a T-shirt and shorts, so what? There's nothing wrong with it!"

_I feel like an idiot…_ "Yeah, I guess you're right… it's just that… well, it seems skimpy, at least when showing it to a guy." _And that probably makes no sense..._

She rolled her eyes. "That's why I wear this as pajamas, stupid! I know I shouldn't be prancing around in an outfit like this, and usually, boys don't come knocking on our door at 6:30 in the morning. As long as I'm wearing it around girls, the outfit's fine."

She was right. Looking at her outfit thinking that it was only worn around girls, it looked perfectly acceptable. It was, as she'd said, a regular T-shirt and shorts, instead of a seductress outfit giving off the 'come hither' vibe I felt before. _How stupid can I get…? _"Yeah, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking!"

Suddenly, she was grinning, that same mischievous look on her face as before. "Why do you care, anyway? Worried that Damion might like what he sees?"

My face burned up immediately. "NO! No, I… we're not like that, May! Damion and I have been best friends forever, and that's all we'll ever be."

She rolled her eyes before scratching her head sheepishly. "…Sorry, then. I guess I… I'm just in the mood to hook two people up, or something."

I raised an eyebrow. _Uh… _"Why?"

She sighed. "Because, I've failed in my matchmaking for the first time. I've been trying to help Brock find a girlfriend for about three weeks now, but to no avail. I mean, he _almost _managed to get together with Cheryl, even went out on a date with her, but it didn't work."

I cocked my head to the side. "Cheryl? Is that what her name is? Before, you always just referred to her as 'that green-haired girl you set Brock up with'."

She nodded. "Yeah, that's her."

"Aw, no need to wor-" I just _barely _caught myself in time. "…Don't, uh, worry so much, okay? It'll get better. Maybe you should take off some time from your matchmaking to work on your _own _relationship problems."

Now _her _face flamed up. "…I don't know _what_ you're talking about."

I grinned, though it held a devious air to it. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." I would've gone into more detail, but I was just a _bit _afraid she'd maul me. Yeah, I've also discovered that she's got quite a temper.

Her face was about as red as her hat, now, but I could tell by her expression that I'd made the right choice in not continuing. "Look, I'd really rather not talk about it, okay? Why don't you just… go entertain Damion or something. After all, it's rude to just leave him out there…"

I glanced between the boy outside currently having a laughing fit due to a highly inappropriate cartoon and myself in the mirror nervously. "Well yeah, but, but… what about my hair?!"

She gave me a 'are you serious?' glare. "What's it matter? He's your best friend, right?"

I sulked. "Well, yeah, but… he's still a _guy_."

She twitched angrily before grabbing a nearby brush. "…Fine then. If ya care so much about your hair, then I'll brush it for you."

I cringed, getting the feeling that allowing her to do so would result in the loss of a large portion of said hair. "I'll just… take a shower real quick."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

I grinned and flashed her the peace sign -"Great!"- before grabbing a fluffy white towel and heading out into the main room. Damion was still cracking up about whatever it was that he was watching. "Oi, Damion. I'm gonna get in the shower real quick, okay?"

He whipped around, face suspiciously red. "T-the shower?! B-but…"

Choosing to ignore his odd reaction, I waved his words off. "Oh, it'll be a quick one. I'll be out in like ten minutes. No need to wor-" Once again, I managed to stop in the knick of time.

Damion, face colored normally once more, cocked his head to the side in confusion. "…-ry. No need to _worry_. Isn't that… what you were gonna say, Dawn? In fact, come to think of it… I haven't heard you saying you favorite line in a while now. What's up?"

I grit my teeth slightly. "Well, I think it's time to find a less childish saying, is all. So I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from saying that again, Damion."

He… pouted? _What the heck…? _"But I liked that saying…"

I sighed. "Look Damion, I _really _need to get in the shower, so just drop it, 'kay?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, though the red hue on his face from before had mysteriously returned. "Whatevs!"

I giggled and headed for the tiny bathroom. Once inside, I turned around one last time. "Oh, and if you ever get bored or lonely waiting for me…" I snickered and raised my voice while inching the door closed. "…I'm sure May can keep you company!"

I slammed the door quickly, waiting for the outburst sure to come. I _knew _May wanted to go back to sleep. "…WHAT?!" I snickered before shedding my -immature; I had to replace them with something more like May's soon, because I couldn't risk someone actually important like _Drew _seeing me like this (not that he'd ever be here at 6:30 in the morning, but still)- PJs and getting in the shower.

Ten minutes later, I came out refreshed and looking _much _better. I was wearing one of _my _favorite outfits. It consisted of a black top with a white undershirt and a pink skirt. I also had pink boots with black stockings on underneath, and for an extra flair, a short red scarf. Now, I know I'm not -_quite_- as pretty as May, but I think I looked pretty good, what with my blue -actually, it looks more indigo right now- hair slicked back in a ponytail that fell in just the right way and outfit clinging to me in all the right places. Actually, I think Damion was gaping, and May looked pretty surprised, herself.

I winked at the two. "Whatcha think? I clean up pretty good, huh?"

May shook off the surprise and smiled. "Oh, definitely! You look _great, _Dawn! But… is there someone you're trying to impress, or something? It's a bit much for an everyday outfit."

The last part of her compliment was directed at my scarf, or at least, that's what it seemed like, 'cause that's what she was looking at. "My outfit is _perfect_, thank-you-very-much. I'll have you know, this is my _lucky _outfit."

She knit her eyebrows in confusion. "Lucky…?"

I nodded proudly. "Yep. This outfit has always given me luck, in every way. It's helped me _get _boyfriends, _break up _with boyfriends without hurting their feelings, make new friends, and do well in classes. With _this_ outfit on, I'm _sure _to get a boyfriend today." I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw Damion's face fall at that.

May rolled her eyes. "So you're wasting a lucky outfit on _that_? Geez…"

I pouted. "Oh? And what would _you _use a lucky outfit on, huh?"

"I'd use it to win the lottery and spend the rest of my life in the lap of luxury, obviously." I'd actually tried that once. I went out wearing this outfit and bought a couple lottery tickets, but still lost. Apparently it only works on smaller amounts of luck. Not that I'm telling them that.

I sighed. "What-_EVER_! I don't care all that much, anyway." I went over and sat between them on the couch, smiling and ignoring my best friend's crestfallen look. It's not that I don't care about him, because I do, really. It's just, the _last _time he was acting this way, I ended up a part of one of his crazy schemes and my boyfriend at that time _dumped _me. Oddly enough, Damion is often involved in my boyfriends dumping me. Glancing at the TV screen, I saw that apparently May had gotten the remote from Damion, because it was now playing Sailor Moon, which Whitney had gotten her hooked on. Resigning myself to spending the next hour watching Sailor Moon with my friends, I grinned before clearing my throat.

"So, what'd I miss?"

* * *

Almost two hours later, I find myself sitting smack-dab in the center of the English class, listening to Prof. Brendan -"Please, call me Brendan, just Brendan."- err… _just Brendan _lecture on about _something, _but all I'm hearing is 'Blah, blah blah, blah blah.' So in short, I'm _really_ bored. _Well, now's as good a time as any to reflect, I guess. _

May, Damion, and I had spent the next hour or so watching Sailor Moon, which actually wasn't all that bad for a cartoon, after all, while snacking on stuff and chatting. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

Just like he'd promised, Damion had walked with me here, even going so far as to insist he carry my books for me. Other than that though, it was almost as if things were back to normal with us. On the way here I teased and he -tried to- come/came up with mildly witty comebacks. It was… nice.

I suppose the only truly weird thing to happen today was that Daisy Waterflower bothered to stop and converse with me. She'd asked me if it was true that I was going out for cheerleading, and I'd told her I was (The first practice is tomorrow!). She'd smiled and wished me luck. It was… weird. I guess I should just be thankful that she's actually pretty nice. A girl like that could severely damage anyone else's reputation if she really wanted to. Hell, even _May _feels insecure compared to her, and May's pretty popular, herself.

Anyway, that doesn't solve the fact that I'm _bored out of my mind_. Class has about… ten minutes left, and we've got no assignments, luckily. Still, that leaves me with nothing better to do than sit and wait. _I hate waiting… _Right now, I'm entertaining myself by doodling in the sketchbook Wallace gave me. I'm drawing a picture of Ash and May up front as they are right now, laughing and flirting. Why? Because it's kind of a cute scene, and I need do to _something_. Besides, I've already got solo pictures of Drew (actually, I've got about three of those…), Ash, Damion, and miscellaneous other people, so I figure it's about time I start drawing people together, you know?

I sighed. _TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK_. Oh, hurry up already, time! I wanna get out of here!

A minute later, I grinned as the bell signaled that my inner wish had come true. _Ugh, FINALLY_! Gathering my stuff, I briskly walked out the door, May beside me. I grinned over at her. "Wasn't class just so boring today?"

She blinked in a surprised way that showed she obviously hadn't thought so at all. "Uh… I guess so."

I sighed. "Well, it'd be _impossible _for it to be boring for you. You're sitting next to a cute nice guy and, like, the most popular girl on campus!"

She giggled. "Yeah, I am, aren't I? I'm so lucky…"

"Stop rubbing it in…" I grumbled.

She decided to take pity on me. "Well, it can't be that bad for you, right? I mean, you're basically sitting in the middle of the cheerleaders, and you're one of them, too, so what's the big deal?"

I grimaced. _Uh, 'What's the big deal?' Oh, don't get me started… _"Well, I don't like to be mean, but they're all… well, _airheads_."

She giggled again. "Oh? Airheads, you say?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I mean, they're all pretty nice, which is amazing in itself, but they're just not… oh, I don't know, intellectually interesting. All they talk about is _boys _and _looks_."

She sort-of smirked. "Now that sounds familiar… Hmm… now where have I heard a lot about boys and looks recently…?" Catching onto her implication, I blushed in embarrassment. _Oho… she is __**so **__asking for it… _

"T-that was different! I'm a romantic looking for love, and they're… ugh, they're shallow girls looking for hot guys and… oh, I can't even say it!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, because all cheerleaders want nowadays is sex."

"Obviously." At hearing the response from behind us, we both whirled around in shock to see Damion, an almost sage look on his face. I had to suppress the urge to giggle. Damion and wise expressions do _not _go together. Instead, I frowned at him.

"Damion! Where'd you come from?"

He grinned. "Oh, you know. Here, there, everywhere. I'm so cool that I can sneak up on you and you'd never know until I told you." I saw May raise an eyebrow, and I giggled a bit before bopping him on the head. "Ow! What's that for?!"

I shook my head, still holding back laughter. "Don't try to be cool, okay? It just makes you seem like a big imbecile."

He pouted and put his hands behind his head, cocking it to the side to stare at me. "Oh? That's not nice, Dawn… Besides, you're giggling, so obviously, I'm funny."

I sighed. "Oh, whatever. We'd better get to class." I smiled at May one last time before heading off towards my second class. "Let's go, Damion. Later May!" I saw her grin and wave before rushing off to her own class.

* * *

My second class is Advanced History. We're studying the history of all the regions, and specific events in certain towns. I've got this class with Damion and a lot of other people who I don't really know. Violet and Lilly Waterflower, Daisy's younger sisters, are in it, but they don't really do much. Most days, they don't even show up.

Anyways, the teacher is this old bald guy named Mr. Briney. He's nice and all, but a little weird. He's probably not the best teacher in the world, considering all it takes to get out of doing work is get him rambling on about the good ol' days out at sea. Seriously, he can go on about it _forever_. But hey, it's better than doing work… I guess.

Usually, I use his rambling time to talk with this girl who sits next to me, Melody. She's really cool. I mean, she's got this unique fashion sense that makes her stand out and look good, and is really funny. She tends to be just a bit self-centered and outspoken, though. I don't know why, but I get this weird feeling that that guy Gary would be sort of like her if he actually bothered to talk more- outside of badmouthing poor Ash, that is.

And you know what's sad? I actually think that Ash really just wants to be friends with him. Getting put down like that all the time must really hurt. Hmm, maybe I'll ask him about it in math.

Feeling a poke on my shoulder, I look over and see Melody pointing to something in our books. "Hey look. It talks about how there's more and more one-parent families nowadays." I flinch slightly. I know all about one-parent families, considering I've only got my mom.

"Uh, yeah. It's sad how many people are getting divorces now, huh?"

She snorted in a very unladylike manner. "Not really. I think it's stupid." I blinked. _Huh? _"It's because everyone's getting married too soon that they end up divorcing. If they'd bother to wait and find out if they actually love and can bear living with each other before they got married, there wouldn't be many divorces at all. But no, everyone's getting hitched the moment 'I-love-you's are said, causing all the divorces and fighting over child custody and all the rest of that stupid crap."

I was speechless. "Uh…" I shook my head, trying to comprehend everything she'd said. "You're very… opinionated, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. Yup."

I bit my lip. _That was pretty harsh… saying things like that… is it truly what she thinks? It's sad, thinking like that, I think. Maybe she's had a bad experience that makes her feel that way. But I wonder how she feels about… _"What about one-parent families that are that way because one parent died?" Truthfully, this is a sore subject for me, and I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm talking about it with someone who's basically a stranger. _After all, my dad…_

Melody gave me a strange look. "Well, that's a completely different matter. If one parent died, then the person's family deserves pity and sadness. I mean, losing a loved one isn't easy."

I smiled softly. _At least we agree on that… She seems to understand it to a degree that makes me wonder… _"Yeah… say, have you… lost a loved one?"

She smiled. "Actually, both my parents died in an accident when I was about four."

* * *

I walked into the cafeteria an hour later, still a bit in shock from what Melody had told me. Apparently, she was from a little island found near the Orange Islands. One day, her parents had went out to transport something to one of the other islands during the middle of a horrible storm. They never returned. Since then, she'd grown up with her older sister, who'd been about twelve at the time. Melody… only remembered bits and pieces about her parents. It's tragic, really.

After getting my lunch, I plopped down into a seat May had reserved for me, brooding. _Melody's so much stronger than me… When my dad… well, __**died**__, I cried for months. Of course, I actually remember all about him, since '__**it**__' happened when I was thirteen._

_Maybe… maybe that's why she thinks it's stupid for people divorcing like that. They should be happy to even __**be **__a family, and not throw it away. _I lowered my eyes and dazedly picked at my food with my fork. _Looking at it that way… she's sort of right._

I looked up to a hand waving in front of my face. "Helloooo! Anybody in there?" I frowned and swatted May's hand away.

"What?"

She frowned too, concerned. "You okay?"

I forced a smile. "Um, yeah! I was just thinking, that's all."

Her frown grew in disbelief, but she let it drop and went to munching on her donuts, which she called the 'Super Delicious Donuts of Awesomeness'. Yeah. Ever since that first day, she'd been unable to go a day without eating at least one of the delectable treats.

I saw Damion staring at me worriedly, but I shook my head at him, and he returned to his meal with a sigh. The bench creaked and suddenly, Brock was right beside me.

May looked at him, quizzical. "Hey Brock. You're over here earlier than usual. What's up?"

He shrugged. "Nothing much. I was just, uh, wondering… if…"

Realization dawned on her face, and she suddenly looked exasperated. "You want girl advice again?"

"Kind of, yeah."

She sighed. I couldn't help but wonder if this was a daily thing that my schedule caused me to miss out on. "Look, I'm working on it, okay? It's just that, well, you're tougher to match up than I originally thought you'd be."

Brock suddenly looked nervous. "You're not giving up, are you?!"

Startled by the panic in his voice, she shook her head swiftly. "No! Calm down, okay? When it comes to matchmaking, 'giving up' isn't in my vocabulary." He sighed in relief, and she craned her neck to look over him. "Is Ash not coming over?" I'll admit, my jaw dropped just a _bit _at that. I mean, I've been missing out on so much!

Brock shook his head. "Nah. Someone's gotta keep Misty company or she'll go crazy on us."

May giggled, whiled my eyes narrowed. Misty? As in the redhead in my next class? "Hey Brock, you're always talking about her, but who is Misty really?"

He started, surprised. "Oh, that's right! You've never actually met her, have you?" He turned and pointed to… a fiery redhead girl who was currently sitting next Ash Ketchum himself and giggling about something. _It's her! I know her!_

May looked the girl over carefully, obviously inwardly analyzing the girl carefully. "Hmm… she's got a bit of an odd sense of fashion, doesn't she? And I've never seen a hairstyle quite like that before…" I could tell that May was trying _really _hard not to insult her fashion taste.

Brock chuckled. "Well, she's a total tomboy. What'd you expect? She's nothing like her sisters, I'll tell you that."

May eyed him quizzically. "Sisters? Who?"

Next thing I knew, he'd gone googly-eyed. "Do you know Violet, Lilly, and Daisy Waterflower? The three prettiest girls in school?" Despite our best efforts, Damion, May, and I couldn't hold our shock and gawked openly.

May seemed the most surprised, looking between Brock and Misty and expressing no small amount of shock. "Wha-she-huh?! _She's _related to _them_?! No way! They don't look alike at all!"

Brock nodded sagely. "I know. But they _are _related. Besides, Misty _chooses _to look that way. She doesn't want to be just like them. When she puts a little effort into it, she can look just as beautiful as they are."

I couldn't help but feel a little skeptical. _She must clean up __**real **__good… _"Really?"

He nodded once more. "Yep. And… shouldn't you be getting to class soon?"

My eyes widened at his words, and I quickly checked my multi-purpose watch. It showed that I had about… _three minutes to get to class on the other side of the building?! _"Oh, crap!" I've barely even touched my food! I'm gonna be starving! There was no way I'd be able to head towards class while eating food on _my _plate- it was all messy stuff. Not caring about the consequences, I quickly grabbed two of the donuts off of May's plate -"Hey!"- and took off running. "Sorry May! You can have the rest of my food in exchange!" I glanced behind me one last time to see Brock, Damion, and Ash, who'd just arrived to see my little display, laughing, while May pouted… before reaching over and starting to chow down on my food. I swear, she's like a black hole when it comes to food. How _un_ladylike. _Still… _

I couldn't help but shake my head and smile at her antics.

* * *

As always, the first thing I did upon entering the Art room was to look for Drew, who was already there, as usual. Okay, maybe that's stretching it a bit far- I actually couldn't help but notice an older pretty woman with long lavender hair leaving as I entered. _I wonder who she is? _

I sat down next to Drew and gave him a dazzling smile, as always. Now usually, he'd smile back and tell me 'hi' before we got to work, but today, he just responded, "Hey Dawn…" in a very dull voice. Uh oh.

Before I had the chance to ask him what was wrong -and possibly offer comfort of some sort…-, the bell rang, and class began. As always, Wallace turned from where he'd been writing on the chalkboard to give us a dazzling smile of his own. He seemed even more upbeat and happy today than usual. _Maybe it's because of that lavender haired lady…? _

Wallace grinned. "Class! I can see you are all here, so we shall begin! Pull out your sketchbooks!" He waited for us all to do so and then continued, "Now, today, we are going to test your ability to be descriptive- both in drawing _and _writing!" My eyes widened a fraction. What's he talking about? "Now, I want you to start by picking one physical feature -any feature, as long as it's appropriate…- about your partner and describing it thoroughly."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Drew frown and raise his hand. "Sir, what does describing a feature have to do with drawing?"

Wallace gave him a patient smile. "You will all find out in good time. Now, as I was saying, describe this feature thoroughly, telling clearly what it's like to you and how you feel about said feature." I think I twitched. _How I… feel? About a feature? What? Has he __**lost it?! **_"For now, I want you to be completely truthful, as if this were part of your journal, or something. After everyone's finished writing, we'll continue."

I heard, rather than saw, Drew sigh beside me. "This sounds stupid…"

I shrugged. "No need to-" I stopped, making him eye me oddly, before starting over, "It'll be alright. I think it sounds fun!" He sighed once more -"Whatever…"- before turning to look at me closely and start writing. I forced down the automatic blush that sprouted on my face from his intense scrutiny of me and started to do the same.

_Let's see here… what should I do? Hair? Smile? _I glanced up at the same time as he did, and I eyes met. I immediately looked down, fighting back another blush. _No… his eyes. I should definitely do his eyes. _That decided, I grabbed a pencil and started writing.

_I chose Drew's eyes. Why? Because they're… mysterious. No matter how hard and how long I look at them _(I do this more than I care to admit)_, I can never decipher their exact color, unlike his hair, which I'll admit I almost chose to do instead. They're a light greenish color, that's all I can really say. He's got long, thick lashes. They look more like women's lashes, but that's okay. They make him look even better, I think. They enhance the elegance he has. Drew himself is a very mysterious guy, at least to me. He doesn't really show his emotions, except for annoyance and happiness. I can often see emotions of a much deeper level swimming around in his eyes, but I'm not able to figure those out, either. Many would say his eyes are intense, to which I agree, but they also say they're intimidating, which I __**don't **__agree with. I think he's… misunderstood, but that may just be my romantic side showing. I'd like to think he's sensitive, and I think his eyes express that he is, at least a little bit. I'll admit, I completely __**love **__his eyes._

Sighing, I put down my pencil. Honestly, I think that had been a bit _too _descriptive, but at least no one else would be reading it. After all, this was a privacy thing, wasn't it? Actually, now that I think about it, Wallace had said, 'As if this were a part of your journal, or something.' I froze for a minute, coming to a realization. _**Someone's **__gonna read this! I don't know who, but still! Oh god, if Drew reads this, then…! _

Wallace cleared his throat. "Okay! I believe everyone is now done, so I will explain the second part! I want you to give your description to your partner…" I swear, my heart _stopped_. Like, seriously. "Now, partners, I want you to read over what the other wrote about and draw that feature as best you can to fit the description given. If it's a facial feature, then draw the whole face, but focus mainly on the specific part. For all I care, the rest can be a mere doodle, as long as that one feature is drawn correctly. If you need a mirror, there are some in the top cabinet." Most of the class nodded and started trading books, but I stayed frozen in my seat.

Drew turned to me, book outstretched. "Dawn? Are we going to swap our books now or not?" _Not! Definitely not! Oh, god… _I shakily grabbed my own book and handed it over to him, resigned to the mortification -and possible rejection- that was sure to come. I put my head down, not even bothering to read what he'd written, blushing in total humiliation and waiting with bated breath.

He read through my depiction of his eyes quietly and swiftly, eyes as wide as saucers by the time he reached the end. At his expression, I first thought he'd burst out in hysterics; but no, he just quietly set it down, and turned to stare at me. "Dawn…?" _Oh god, oh god, I'm so dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I died, I'm dead. I wish._

I couldn't look up, for I was afraid of what he'd think, seeing me upset like this. I've never liked crying, especially not in front of people. I've never even cried in front of _Damion, _and I've known him forever! And yet here I was, near tears, and over something so _stupid_! I made sure I had my voice under control before answering softly. "Yes…?"

He was silent for a moment, before: "Will you please look at me?"

I flinched slightly, gulping. I didn't move for a minute, doing my best to get my emotions under control. When I looked up, I knew I still looked very upset and was blushing horribly, but also was confident that I showed no sign of tears. I think my voice is probably hollow. "What?"

He glanced down at my writing and read it over again before looking up at me and sighing, an unidentifiable look in his eyes. _Then again, what else is new? _He seemed… a bit nervous, maybe resigned in some way. He spoke, and the words that came out of his mouth were so unbelievable, so unexpected, it shocked me to the core. His words were:

"Do you… want to go out some time?"

* * *

AN-Haha! I ended it with an evil cliffhanger of doom! Once again, I'd like to apologize for the delay in this chapter. Dawn just _did not _want to be written! And I think I've made her too similar to May… Anyways, the next chapter is back to May! You'll see how she spent some of her day, possibly the next day, and her reaction to Drew asking Dawn out! Now, for those of you just reading the bottom AN because I told you to…

**I am putting this story on a short, temporary hiatus. **Now before you go freaking out on me, please know that **I am **_**not **_**giving the story up****. It will be still be updated. **It just won't be updated as often. Why am I doing this? Because I've got a lot of other fics/new stuff that I really want to work on, and I don't want you all to have to unknowingly wait like that. I hope you forgive me. That is all.


	5. Failure of Communication at School

AN- I'm back! **I'm also OFFICIALLY taking this off hiatus. **BUT! **Please remember, I still have school to deal with, so it'll take time to update.** I pray you all will be patient and continue reading. Oh yes, I apologize in advance, as this chapter is pretty depressing until the end.

To Advanceshippingrox, I'm glad you liked the chapter! You're right, Belleshipping is rare. That's part of why I like it (a very small part; going into detail of my real reasons would take _way _too long)! I suppose I could see May as Zoey, and Dawn as a cross between Lola and Nichole, as she's a bit of a drama queen _and _boy-crazy. I don't quite agree with the guys, though. Chase is too much of a… _blonde, _at times to really compare him to Ash, who, while having stupid moments, would probably never run into a _pole _on a _bicycle _because of seeing a _girl_. None of the guys are like Logan, and Brock only spazzes about girls, while Michael has a tendency to overreact about _everything. _Of course, this is just my opinion, and you can continue to think what you want. ^_^ I hope you continue to enjoy the fic!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Pokemon nor the two songs whose lyrics I used. Those belong to Hannah Montana and Three Days Grace respectively.

* * *

**Failure of Communication at School**

My very first crush once told me that the reason I had so many guys ask me out was because I was overly flirty. Maybe that's true; I don't know. When I was about twelve, I _did _have a tendency to lead innocent boys on, I guess. Not that I'd realized exactly what I'd been doing then. Anyway, the first guy I ever really liked was, unfortunately, a case doomed to failure. He was a boy roughly six years older than me, and a brother-figure to Roxanne. His name? Brawly.

It was a case of what Roxanne called 'puppy love', meaning that it was just hopeless admiration. That's probably true, because I can barely remember him now that I think about it. All I can recall is that he was super cute, surprisingly nice, and had _great _muscles- oh yeah, he also had this laidback surfer-dude attitude, which, back then, I found totally _hot_. I _do, _however, remember how disgusted Roxanne was when I first told her about my crush on him, though. Ha, her reaction was hilarious. Thinking back on it, she seemed especially forceful when telling me that I had no chance with him (mainly because of the age difference) and should just give up- in a nice way, of course. Maybe I wasn't the only one with a crush on him back then…

Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Back then, I didn't really believe him (Brawly, I mean). But after having the 22nd guy ask me out (and the 22nd guy be turned down), though, I couldn't help but think about what he'd said in a different light.

It's not like I _meant _to be overly flirty, it just sort of happened, honestly. Roxanne, being the nerd/genius she is, tried to explain it to me once.

"_May,_"she'd said, "_the problem with you is that you want everyone to be your friend. Not just us girls, but all the __**guys **__as well. For someone your age, you happen to be… attractive to these guys, and they don't want __**friendship**__at all. They want something else entirely. Your subconscious has probably realized that, even though you yourself have not. Your flirty nature is a way to draw the guys in: they think you like them, and you want them to be your __**friend**__. See the problem?_"

I hadn't talked to her for a _week _after that. I mean, how dare she imply that I brought them on myself? Still, eventually, I did forgive her. Roxanne is irreplaceable in my heart. I couldn't ask for a better friend, considering all the things she stuck through with me. I _could _ask for one a little less smart, though. She makes me feel horribly dumb.

Since starting college, I've made tons of friends, and my flirty personality has toned down, _just _a bit. For instance, I've become super-close with my roommate Dawn, even though I've only known her for about a month or so. Often, I consider her as irreplaceable as Roxanne.

Of course, I certainly _do _wish I could replace her at this very moment. Why?

"Aha ha ha ha!" I winced at the sound of her piercingly high laughter coming from the living room- not her real, normal sounding laugh, but a girlish giggle that I think was _supposed _to sound cute. "Oh, Drew, you're so funny!"

She was annoying me profusely. I had found this past week that there is nothing more _irritating _than 'a girl in love', as she put it. Still, aren't you supposed to be able to be _yourself _when with your love? The girl out there shrieking like a banshee was definitely _not _Dawn. Hell, I could act more natural with _Brendan _or, god forbid, _The Brat_. And really, she got all mushy just _thinking _about him! The two had only been dating a little over a _week_, for Pete's sake!

Or maybe, just _maybe_, what got me was the fact that it was _Drew _she was dating. I hadn't even known she _knew _him until she came squealing to me about him asking her out! It's not that I'm not thankful to have him off my case (those roses were getting _really _annoying), but the _creature _he's turned Dawn into is far worse than anything he could do to me personally. Not to mention poor Damion…

My thoughts were interrupted by an almost frantic pounding on the door. By now, I'd come to recognize the knock. _Speak of the devil…_

I cleared my throat and yelled, "Coming!" Walking through the living room to the door, I noticed that the two _lovebirds _hadn't even bothered to move. Dawn and Drew were _studying_. Studying what, was beyond me. The only two classes they have together are Art, which you _can't _study (despite what Prof. Wallace says), and Calculus, which, unlike me, Dawn is acing- I've heard Drew is, too.

I opened the door forcing a smile on; it was better not to help him notice and further upset him. "Damion, hi!"

At the mention of her friend's name, Dawn looked up, confused. "Damion?"

The mentioned blonde grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Apparently, I wasn't the only one pretending. "Hiya, Dawn!"

She started to get up, then decided against it, staying sitting by her _boyfriend_. "What are you doing here?"

For just a moment, Damion looked hurt. That was obviously not the reaction he'd been hoping for. Catching sight of Drew, the hurt became even more obvious and defined. He looked like a kicked puppy. I inconspicuously placed myself in front of him, so Dawn wouldn't see his face like that.

"Er… he came to see me!" Everyone, including Damion (the idiot), looked at me, shocked.

Dawn gaped. "Don't take this the wrong way May, but why would he come to see _you_?"

I narrowed my eyes. "How can I _not _take that the wrong way? If you must know, Damion and I have become _great _friends. How could we not? We spend so much time together at lunch…" Dawn's eyes widened, and she looked between Damion and I suspiciously.

The blonde behind me gave me a nudge. He whispered so the other two couldn't hear, "What are you doing?"

"Just go along with it," I whispered back.

"Why?" I sighed. He could be difficult sometimes. And dense.

"Because it's the best way to get you -and me- out of here. You because it's best Dawn _doesn't _see you looking like your best friend died, and me because I can't stand hearing _that _any longer."

He ignored my comments on his haggard expression, choosing instead to quirk an eyebrow. "That?" As if on cue, Dawn let out another banshee laugh. Damion understood. "Oh."

I turned around to the other two, already engrossed in _studying _once more. "Right, so, we're gonna, um, go for a walk. 'Kay?"

Dawn turned towards us, brow furrowed. "Just you two going on a walk?"

I put my hands on my hips and worked my face into a 'don't mess with me' look. "You got a problem with that?"

Dawn flinched slightly, and for a moment I felt bad for being harsh. "No…" Her expression said otherwise, but I chose not to comment on it.

I looked at Damion. "C'mon, let's go. Oh, and guys…" I turned back again. "Remember, just because I'm gone, you're still _not _alone." I pointed to Whitney and Mary's door, which, while shut, still occupied the other two residents of the room.

Dawn rolled her eyes now. "Oh, I'm sure they're plenty busy." I quirked an eyebrow at the implication, wondering just what she was going on about, before sighing -"Bye, then"- and leaving the room Damion in tow.

* * *

As the door swung shut behind them, Dawn's concerned gaze followed them out. Drew glanced at her. "Something wrong?"

Dawn sighed. "I just… never realized they were so close, is all."

"And it bothers you?"

She snapped her gaze to his, suddenly serious. "Yes! Damion's been my best friend since my toddler days, and I may not have known May long, but I'm really close with her, too! Of course it bothers me to see two close friends together!"

Drew sighed. "May never said they were dating, Dawn, just good friends. Maybe you're overreacting."

Said girl tensed, before relaxing. "Yeah… you're right! They're probably just friends…" Suddenly, she felt stupid for jumping to the conclusion she had, and then upset as to the unexplainable feeling of aching the thought had given her.

Drew smiled, looking off into the distance. "Let's hope so." Dawn blinked and frowned slightly at the words. Somehow, they just didn't sound right…

"Drew?" When she received no answer, she looked up, trying to meet his gaze. It was impossible, as his eyes were staring off into nothing; he was deep in thought. About _what_, though, Dawn wished she knew.

**

* * *

**

A lot of girls can't stand fast food. Something about it being disgustingly greasy and getting fat. Me, I _love _fast food. I love all food, really. Still, maybe it wasn't the wisest idea in the world to bring Damion to the local pizza place. I was getting a bit uncomfortable with all the stares we were receiving from any other campus students who happened to be there.

I suppose we made quite a scene, what with me looking about ready to maul something (or some_one_) and Damion looking like he was about to burst into tears. I got the feeling this would be all over campus by morning. I could picture the news now: 'Local Girl with Temper Problem Breaks Blonde Boy's Heart- and Face'. I sighed. Life sucked sometimes.

"Look Damion, you've gotta stop moping." Said boy didn't bother looking up from where he had his head buried in his hands. I scowled. "_Look at me!_"

My forceful tone got his attention; his head was out of his hands so fast, it made _my _head spin trying to keep up with the motion. "Look May, I'm sorry! I know I'm acting stupid, but I'm just… _upset_, okay?"

His voice cracked on the last word, and I could feel myself softening. I'd never told anyone, but I was a sap for a sob story. "Come on, don't let it get you down. Where's the blonde idiot I've become fond of teasing?" He looked shocked for a moment. "I meant it when I said we were friends, you know."

He smiled, though it was slightly bittersweet. "Thanks. You're nicer to me than you should be." I shook my head in protest, but he continued, "I mean it; not only are you comforting me when I'm being overly sentimental, but you're also trying to help me get Dawn's attention. Or…" He suddenly looked nervous. "You're not going to give up now that she's got Drew, are you?"

I cocked my head to the side. _I didn't expect him to be like this… _"Are you?"

His appalled look at the suggestion made me smile. "No!"

"Then neither am I. It's a policy of mine not to give up until my client does."

He managed a smirk, though it looked comical on his face. "Client? How professional sounding…" I frowned at his implication before reaching across and smacking him on the head. "Ow!"

"Shut up, stupid. We've got a long way to go on your case, but let's take it easy for now. Our food's here, so that takes priority." I took a moment to look over the steaming goods in front of us. "Mmm, these fries look good. Let's eat!"

* * *

**Later that Night…**

* * *

Getting in bed is one of my favorite times of the day. I love curling up in the blankets, feeling the warmth even through my PJ's.

I'd gotten home a little after eleven- way later than the time you were supposed to be in bed with the lights out, but the DA had been mysteriously missing, so I'd made a clean getaway (or rather, get-in). Whitney and Mary were apparently already asleep, but Dawn had waited up. She'd given me -and Damion, who had been gentlemanly enough to walk me back to the room (though probably just wanted a chance to see Dawn in her bunny slippers, which he seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with. At least he'd cheered up.)- a serious chewing out. It reminded me of how my dad acted whenever I was home late on a date. Scary. Anyways, I was just getting comfortable and drifting off into blissful sleep when…

"Hey May?"

I groaned. _This had better be good, curse you! _"What?"

"…You'd tell me if something were going on between you and Damion… right?"

I shifted to try and look at her in the bunk below. "Of course. But I already said, we're just friends. Is something wrong, Dawn?"

She was silent for a moment, then, "No… it's nothing. Forget about it."

A large part of me wanted to question her. _She's not acting normal. What's wrong? _I opted instead to listen to her, as it felt like the best thing to do. I changed the subject. "So… did you and Drew have fun almost alone together…? Did anything happen…?"

She caught my drift, and I could practically _feel _her blushing. "No! Actually…" she sounded kind of depressed. _Did they have a fight? _"…not long after you two left, Drew did, too. He said something about a roommate crisis."

"…Oh. Well, sorry about that…" This conversation was… awkward, for lack of a better word.

"…S'okay. I don't mind." I snorted quietly. _Liar. _She may not seem it, but Dawn was turning into one of those clingy girls. Damion wouldn't have cared, but I doubt Drew will like it. "Ya know… I've been worried about Damion lately." I snapped my head up at that. _Say what?_ "It's just… he's so _different _from how he used to be. Especially lately."

"Um… Whatcha mean?"

I heard her sigh. "He seems depressed. I'd like to help him, but honestly, I don't know how. I've know him my whole life, and never once have I seen him upset about anything. He's like my own personal sun, always shining brightly. When we were little, he always smiled and ran around, telling me he'd 'charge me a fine' if I couldn't keep up with him."

I blinked. "What do you mean, 'charge you a fine'?"

I heard her laugh quietly. "Beats me. I've never been able to understand some of the things he says or does. You know, I figured college would be way different from high school, but really it's not. Different faces and friends, but the same old regime: I learn, Damion's always right there with me, and… it just feels like nothing's changed except for the people and location. Are Damion and I… always gonna be like that? Like 'two peas in a pod'? I love him, he's my best friend, but… I came here to get some space, and now it seems like my coming here did nothing at all! What's worse is that I've been treating him horribly and ignoring him, all for my own selfish reasons! I'd bet I'm the reason he's depressed! But I can't let things continue the way they have been, or…" she trailed off, gasping for breath and upset beyond belief.

I stayed quiet, shocked, concerned and having utterly no idea how to offer the sort of comfort she seeked. _How can I help someone seeking individuality? To her, her life has consisted of one key component- Damion. It's always been Dawn&Damion, Damion&Dawn. But now that she just wants to be herself instead of living for the both of them when he wants nothing more than to be even closer to her, what can I do? _I panicked in silence.

A few minutes later, I heard the sound of soft weeping.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up early, and when I say early, I mean _really _early. The sun had yet to even begin rising as I jumped in the shower just before the clock struck five. Normally, the world would have to be _ending _before I even _considered _waking up at that ungodly hour, but I couldn't bring myself to face Dawn, who I'd heard cry herself to sleep last night, offering no comfort to whatsoever. I felt like a horrible person, and couldn't face the shame of talking to the girl I'd so terribly let down.

I threw on the first cute outfit I'd found after drying my hair- a white V-neck baby-tee and a red mini skirt plus my everyday sneakers. I chose to forgo my favorite bandana today, and instead pulled my hair up into one big ponytail that fell to my shoulders. I went without any makeup, as the clock had yet to strike six (though there were only about three minutes to go, meaning I had to get out, as Dawn woke up at six), so I'd figured I'd be waiting outside the classroom for a while and probably fall asleep.

I was out the door just as Dawn's alarm clock went off. It played a Hannah Montana song- 'Rockstar'. How typical.

_I'm unusual,_

_Not so typical,_

_Way too smart to be waiting around._

I smiled. And yet somehow, the song fit her perfectly.

* * *

_There were ponies. There were pretty, prancing, ponies. Some were pink, others the color of the sky, still others a beautiful aqua. How cute they all were. There were-_ Oof! …there was a foot in my stomach. I glared at the offending appendage for a moment before turning to glare at its owner. "What was that for?"

Ruby eyes matched my gaze. "Care to tell me what you're doing snoozing outside my classroom at 7:30 in the morning, Maple?"

I glared at my _teacher _(ha) for a moment before noticing something. _What the…? _"Er… Gary, right? What're you doing with Brendan this early in the morning?" The Brat -or Gary, as he was more commonly known (though I think my name for him fits better)- stood directly behind our young professor, looking exasperated. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see said teacher raise an eyebrow at my use of his name without any formalities (even though he told us to do so, most people still call him Prof. or Teach. Brendan, so I probably surprised him with my boldness).

The Brat sighed. "I happen to be roommates with _Professor _Brendan, for your information."

My jaw dropped. "Say what? Roomies? But, but, how?!"

This time, Brendan sighed. "There was a mix-up at the beginning of the school year, that's how. I asked to be given a room somewhere on campus, and somehow got assigned as part of one of the dorms. Gary and I are roommates, as odd as it is. Oh, and you never answered my question."

I sighed, then. To be honest, I'd been hoping the whole thing with Gary -no, _The Brat_- had distracted him the way it had distracted me. "It's complicated." He gave me a pointed look. "Ya want more?" He raised an eyebrow before nodding. "I'm avoiding my roommate." When my idiot teacher remained unmoving, I scowled. "Look, going further into detail isn't necessary. I've got a good reason for what I'm doing, but it's too personal to explain like this. Just let it drop, okay?"

Brendan eyed me for a moment dubiously, then shrugged and went to open the door. "Um, shouldn't you unlock the door first?"

He snickered before turning the knob; the door squeaked open without a problem. Suddenly, I felt _really _stupid. "You didn't bother to check the door, did you? It was unlocked all along, stupid."

I growled -"Shut up…"- before heading into the room, refusing to look at either of the smug boys, going straight to my desk in a huff instead.

On his way past, Brendan flipped my hair. I glared, but he just smiled. "You should wear your hair like that more often. It's cute."

I gaped at his boldness, feeling heat rush to my face, before countering, "Thanks, but you're not my type. Besides, isn't there a code of conduct that mandates teachers not have romantic relationships with students?"

He chuckled, eyeing me curiously, ruby eyes glinting. "While I'm sure I can prove you wrong on the first account, you're right about the second. But you know, I wasn't giving you a pickup line. I was just saying it looks good that way. Oh, and I don't follow the rules that much, anyway. You see…" He flashed me a sly smile. "…I'm a rebel."

I snorted before giving in and laughing for about a minute or two, Brendan pretending to be offended, Gary trying to ignore us, I'm sure. _A rebel. Yeah, sure, and I'm the next top model. _"Right. Haven't heard that one before…" Brendan smiled before going to work on his computer. I sighed and started tapping my pencil on my desk. Making me laugh had woken me up completely, meaning I got to spend the next hour-and-a-half doing _absolutely nothing_.

A couple desks behind and to the left of me I heard Gary sighing and shifting, trying to get comfortable. My pencil drumming became louder, and I tried tapping to the beat of random songs in my head to keep myself entertained. I saw Brendan glance over at us in slight annoyance. The noise probably disturbed his work. I stopped tapping. Brendan tensed.

A few minutes of silence passed while I tried to let him work in peace and Gary -_The Brat_, my head insisted- engrossed himself in a book. Suddenly, music was playing. It took me a moment to locate the source: Brendan's computer. I'd guessed wrong about his annoyance apparently; he'd wanted _more _noise, not less. _He must be one of those people who needs some kind of background noise to work… kind of like me. _I began tapping my pencil to the songs played, humming along absentmindedly.

_I! HATE! Everything about you!_

_WHY… do I LOVE you?_

_YOU! HATE! Everything about me!_

_WHY… do you LOVE me?_

Though it's not my style, I love that song. The intensity gets to me. I blinked my eyes open, wondering when I'd closed them in the first place, to see both boys staring at me incredulously. "What?"

Brendan blinked a few times, astonished, before smiling slightly. "Not bad."

I was suddenly nervous. "What? What are you _talking _about?"

Gary sighed. "I believe he's referring to your singing."

I blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. Then the world blew up- or maybe it was me. "_WHAT?!_ What do you mean, my singing?! I wasn't singing!" I stared at them in horror. "…Was I?"

Brendan nodded, oblivious to my mortification. "Yep. And you were pretty good, too. You struggled a bit on those low notes, but other than that, it wasn't bad."

I _wish _I could have lost consciousness right about then. Unfortunately, I had no such luck. Instead, I crossed my arms, hung my head, and didn't say a word or move a muscle for the next fifteen minutes- despite the uncomfortable position I'd chosen.

Music was the only sound for a while, until I heard Brendan growl irritably and shut the music off, chair squeaking as he turned to face us. "Okay, you two. It's just barely after eight, meaning we've got at least half an hour left before others start arriving. I need some serious background noise. The music worked for a while, but not anymore."

Gary looked up from his book, I remained obstinate. "What are you asking?"

Brendan sighed. "I'm asking for you two to _communicate_. You know, talk. I _need _background noise, or I won't get my work done!"

My head snapped up, and I saw Gary gaping at the suggestion. For once the two of us were in agreement, as a simultaneous protest was heard: "What?! No way!"

Brendan glared, obviously not in the mood to argue. "No objections! I'm the teacher! This is an order!" We stared in shock at him for a moment while he calmed. "Gary… look, I _know _you can be talkative when you want, so _please _help me out here. And May… I know you and I haven't exactly gotten off on the best terms, but really, I _need _to get my work done. Besides, I know talking is _not _an issue for you. Come on guys, please do this for me!"

I wondered briefly if the look in his ruby eyes -glinting, as always, but with fake tears to add to his façade- could be considered puppy dog pouting. He turned his attention to me, and I knew it could, giving in instantly. I hated my weakness for anything sad, even when it was only pretend. "So…" I turned to Gary, cursing myself -and Brendan, the sly dog- all the while. "Anything interesting happen lately?"

Gary stared at me for a moment before snorting and turning away. "Not hardly." My eyes narrowed while Brendan barked at him for not being sociable. Yep, The Brat was definitely a better name for him. The jerk. The Brat winced at the harping. "I mean- uh, not really. You?"

I don't know what came over me. "You mean besides the fact that my roommate is having a horrible emotional crisis involving her best friend who is secretly in love with her while she's dating this other guy who's a total jerk? And the fact that this emotional crisis consists of her wanting more _space _between her best friend and her and I can't help at all because I'm completely clueless on what the right thing to do is so I spent all of last night listening to her cry her eyes out and feeling horrible for not doing anything? Not really."

The moment the words were out, I flew my hands to my traitorous mouth, wishing to take all of them back, but it was to late. The rhythmic tacking that had started at the computer once The Brat had given in and talked had stopped about a third of the way through my speech, a chair squeaked my way halfway through, and by the end, I could see two equally shocked faces. My own face burned with shame and embarrassment.

From across the room, Brendan cleared his throat and tried to neutralize his expression. "Well, uh, it sounds like you've got a good reason for avoiding your roommate then. Sorry to, um, have doubted you." The Brat didn't bother responding at all, just shaking his head in awe. _Probably thinking I'm a nutcase. Can't say I disagree right now._

There was an embarrassing silence for a few minutes, and I could tell our teacher was starting to get annoyed again, as his normally rhythmic typing slowed, but luckily, a few people started filing in, bringing noise and background noise with them. Before I knew it, Ash was shaking me awake, telling me class was about to start. I didn't even know when I'd fallen asleep.

* * *

Class passed as a blur, and I waited for Dawn, who looked at me in concern before sighing and turning away, to leave before I got up to go.

"May." I sighed. _What does he want now? To embarrass me further?_ "Can you come here for a moment?"

I gritted my teeth and walked over to stand beside Prof. Brendan. "I'm gonna be late to my next class."

"I'll write you a pass."

I eyed him curiously. He seemed deep in thought. "What did you want?"

He seemed to be having trouble meeting my gaze. Was he embarrassed about this morning too, or was it something else? "Um, there's no proper way to do this…" I quirked an eyebrow. He cleared his throat again. "Uh, May, I need a favor."

"A favor? What kind of favor?"

He… blushed? _What the heck? _"Uh, yeah, about that… don't take this the wrong way, but I'd really appreciate it if you could come with me to, uh, meet my dad."

My eyebrows skyrocketed. "Say what? Meet your dad? What are you _talking _about?"

He sighed. "Look, I'm just gonna be straight with you here. About, oh, say, two months ago, I called my dad to tell him some great news: I had this great girlfriend, and we were serious. Of course, my dad wanted to meet her-"

"Say no more!" I interrupted. He gawked at me, shocked. "Let me guess- you _lied _to your dad about having this awesome girlfriend, then it backfired on you by him wanting to meet her, and now you want me to _pretend _to be this fake girlfriend? Uh uh, no way, bud! I'm not doing it!"

He looked panicked for a minute- I was being to loud about this discreet subject, no doubt. "No, no, NO! You've got it all wrong! I _did _have a girlfriend at the time I told my father about her, a great one!" He fumbled around in his pocket for a moment. "I've got a picture of her in here somewhere… aha! Here!" He produced a photo and gave it to me.

Staring down, I saw a beautiful woman, probably about twenty-five or so, staring back, short black hair blowing in an attractive way. Her eyes were a silver color, and she looked serene; the picture of perfection if I'd ever seen one.

Brendan smiled at my awe. "Her name's Marge. She's a couple years older than me, a real mature woman, always graceful and serene. We were the perfect couple, and I really hyped my dad up to meet her, but suddenly, she snapped."

I blinked. "Snapped?"

He nodded, looking downcast. "Yeah. It was really sudden, no one saw it coming. She was fine one day, then suddenly started rambling about a fire that would consume the world and something about magma, and killing, and… well, you get the picture. But it got worse; it started with the weird talking, then she was always disappearing and making threats, and recently, she, well… she mauled the mailman."

Again, I blinked, but this time with skepticism. "She _mauled _the _mailman_?"

He locked his gaze with mine. "I know it sounds like I'm lying, but I'm dead serious here. She's locked up in a local asylum now. Apparently, she was on all kinds of drugs. Ugh…" he sighed, running his hand across his face before continuing, "I really know how to pick 'em, huh?" I snorted, and suddenly he was back to business. "But anyway, the point is, I need your help. Like I said, I want you to meet my dad. And yeah, you were right about the whole 'pretend to be my girlfriend' concept." I started to protest, but he shushed me. "Let me explain. See, my dad's been worried about me ever since my mom died when I was sixteen. He's been wanting me to find a steady girl and settle down since I was twenty. He's really excited to meet this 'girlfriend' of mine, and I can't bear to let him down now, so _please, _May, help me out here!"

I frowned for a minute, feeling myself soften. There was still one little issue I didn't get… "Why me?"

He sighed, exasperated, before smiling. "Because you're the _only _one I could trust to do this. I originally intended to ask another teacher, but the only female teacher here close to my age is Winona, and she'd never agree to such a scam. In fact, she'd foresee me doing, well… something like this, actually, and report me for it, so I thought to ask the students. May, out of all the female students, you are the _only _one who _doesn't _treat me like a teacher, meaning it wouldn't be difficult to act all that differently than normal to me, unlike, say Daisy Waterflower, who, while attractive and flirty, treats me like the taboo teacher she wants but can't have." I quirked an eyebrow at this. "Not to mention, May, I actually _do _like you. You're different from my other students, meaning I could more easily pretend with you than them. So…" He turned his gaze to mine, seeming automatically to put on a puppy dog pout to tempt me. _What, can he produce those at will now?_ "Will you _please _do this for me, May? If you want, I can give you something in return…"

I sighed, contemplating, before smiling. _I can't believe I'm about to say this... _"When are we meeting him?"

* * *

AN- So? For a returning chapter, whatcha think? I'm sure any and all Hoennshippers will love this chapter, but don't give up Advanceshippers! I said it'd be depressing, and for the most part, it was, but don't worry, the next chapter will have plenty of comedy to offset this one! In fact I've got a little bit of it already planned…

* * *

Next CH. Preview: _The moment Mr. Birch (er… Prof. Birch, I mean) left the room, I pounced. "Max! What are you __**doing **__here?!"_

_My little brother (whom I very much wanted to kill at the moment) stared in shock for a moment. "Me?! I come here like every day! What about you, huh? You're supposed to be in Goldenrod City, May!"_

_I gritted my teeth before swatting him on the head swiftly, to which he cried out, the baby. "Shut up! I'm still going to college there, this is just… part of my college experience!"_

_Max, through his fake tears, raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to have a __**normal**__ college experience, May." I growled and punched him on his head again._

_Brendan looked between us, utterly baffled. "Hold up! You two __**know **__each other?"_

_Max and I shared an incredulous look before answering simultaneously, "__**Know **__each other? We're brother and sister!"_

* * *

End preview. Yup, that's right, it's time for Max to make a comeback! Dun, dun, dun! Stay tuned for the next chapter (even though it might be a while)!


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